Elemental War
by Da KeR MysTeRr
Summary: Spira's calm is threatened again.In order to save Spira, Tidus has to find five strangers that are the supposed heirs of the elemental Gods and if that isn't bad enough, he has to find two Angels that have only been heard of in legends. Can he do it?
1. Gods and Angels

A/N: Hey! First I want to thank Andy for helping me with it a bit, grammar and all that jazz. Ok well, this is my newest story here on Fanfic. It's my third and I am personally very excited about it. I hope you all like it, because I worked really hard on it. Ok, well I won't bore you with anything else. Read and Review!

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy or anything else affiliated with Square Enix. I do, however, own any OC's that may make an appearance in this story.

Summary: Once again, Spira's calm is threatened. In order to save Spira, Tidus has to find five strangers that are the supposed heirs of the elemental Gods and if that isn't hard enough, he has to find two Angels that have only been heard of in legends. Can he do it in time to prevent Spira's end?

**Elemental War  
Chapter 1: Gods and Angels**

_Elements make up everything around us. As you already know the most common elements, are: fire, water, earth, thunder, ice, and wind. They are the most common and well known in Spira. However there are two elements that surround us everyday. They are so common they are often overlooked as an everyday occurrence. However, these two elements are the most powerful as well as the most devastating. The elements of Light and Darkness._

_Thousands of years ago there were people who could control these elements, they were the god or goddess of that respective element. There were eight of them in total. You would think that being gods of different elements they would be more or less equal in their power sense, but that was not the case. The goddess of light and the god of darkness were the two most powerful gods._

_Now as you can see in today's society, where there is unequal sharing of power, jealousies emerge and distrust forms. The lesser gods (fire, water, earth, thunder, ice and wind) were power hungry and wanted to dispose of the god of Darkness and the goddess of Light._

_As you may imagine, light and darkness are opposing forces, which ultimately meant that these two gods did not enjoy the thought of one another. Hades, the god of Darkness, and Gabriella, the goddess of light, despised one another. They would not hesitate to destroy the other for any reason. With this knowledge, the lesser gods split into two groups and conspired against the greater gods. The gods of fire, thunder, and wind worked together to get Hades to kill Gabriella, while the gods of water, ice, and earth worked together to get Gabriella to kill Hades._

_However, rivalries did not only exist between Gabriella and Hades. The lesser gods had rivalries amongst themselves. And it would be these rivalries that would ultimately lead to their demise._

_Finally, the night came in which they were to put their plans into action. Their plans might have worked, had they not tried to add in their own little agendas. Each group also tried to convince the god and goddess that they should kill the lesser gods as well. Hades wasn't willing to just jump into this idea of eradicating the others, without some confirmation. Being cautious, he prepared for war, before following the three lesser gods where he discovered their plan._

_Thoroughly outraged, he destroyed the lesser gods; while on the other side of Spira Gabriella was doing the same. After destroying the six lesser elemental gods, the two remaining 'great gods' went on a rampage destroying anything they saw fit to destroy._

_This continued for a long period of time, only did it stop when a being even more powerful than them stepped in. Dios put an end to the destruction being wrought by these two gods. Angered with the two gods he 'demoted' them to rulers of the Farplane. He placed Hades as ruler of the underworld, our equivalent of Hell, and Gabriella as ruler of Olympus, our equivalent to Heaven._

_In order to reinstate order to the world, Dios was forced to reincarnate the gods in a human form. These select people would have the power of the element they governed over. If this person managed to tap into their powers, they were able to use them in their everyday lives. However, these people would eventually die and the god/goddess would be reincarnated again. This cycle would continue until the gods and goddesses learned to work together and get past their petty difference and work for a common good goal._

_Now with the other gods taken care of, Dios needed successors for the gods of Light and Darkness. Since they were still, in a sense living, he couldn't reincarnate them. Instead he created two beings heard throughout our mythological history. He created two angels, one for Light and one for Darkness. Their names are lost to history, but many have come up with their own name for the angels. The angel of Light is most commonly known as the 'Guardian Angel.' The angel of Darkness has a few 'names.' Though most commonly known as the 'Angel of Death' this said Dark Angel is also known as 'Wings of Devastation' and 'Sky's Hell.'_

After reading the passage, a young boy raised his hand. He had lightly colored orange hair that was parted to the left. The teacher in the front of the classroom glanced towards him with a smile and said, "Yes, Vidina?"

He brought his hand down and scratched the back of his head. "Do the gods have something to do with the Aeons?"

The older woman ran a hand through her dark brown hair and nodded. "Yes. Each Aeon is a god who realized their potential and decided to assist the summoners during their pilgrimages. Though, now we don't see the Aeons because Lady Yuna has defeated Sin once and for all, ultimately bringing an eternal calm to Spira." She paused momentarily before she said, "That's a very good question, Vidina. Do you have any others?"

He shook his head 'no.' the teacher nodded, "Does anyone else have any questions?" When no one responded she closed her book and said, "Well then, class dismissed."

The little boy closed his books, taking off running towards his home. He ran through the village, making a b-line towards his house. Once he was inside the wall of his house, he ran over to his father. "Daddy!"

His father was a tall man, with a tan complexion. His hair color mirrored his son, and was done up in a single giant flip. His hazel eyes glistened with compassion as he scooped the little boy up in his arms. He ruffled the boy's hair and with a smile he said, "Hey, how was school?"

The boy's eyes widened with excitement, "Dad, today we learned about the elemental gods, and Aeons, and we even we told about how Auntie Yuna deflated Sin!"

He laughed at his son's excitement and corrected his speech, "Defeated, son. Yuna defeated Sin."

"Yeah, if Sin only needed to be deflated, your father's hair could have done the job," a familiar masculine voice said from behind them.

Wakka turned towards the voice, Vidina still in his arms. Upon seeing the familiar face of his blonde friend he shook his head and said, "You're a funny man, ya?" He placed his son on the ground, who in turn, ran to the owner of the voice, "Uncle Tidus!"

Tidus smiled, picking Vidina up. "Hey, champ. How've you been?"

"Pretty good. I learned a lot of cool new stuff in school today!" he exclaimed, happiness beaming through his pours.

Tidus shook his blonde hair from his cerulean eyes and smirked, "Well did you tell your mommy all about it yet?"

Vidina shook his head; "I'll do it now!" He jumped out of Tidus' arms, running for the stairs calling out to his mom.

Tidus walked up behind his friend, placing a gloved hand on his shoulder, "How does it feel to be almost 30 with a 4 year old?"

Wakka turned to face the blonde. He shook his head at the blonde's grin and said, "I'm 29, not 30, don't rush me, ya? And I love being a dad." He crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow. "Which bring up the question, when are you and Yuna going to bless us with a little one?"

"Heh," he ran a hand through his hair, before scratching the back of his head. "There will be plenty of time for that." He laughed and cracked his knuckled, "And when that time does come, you and Lulu will be up to your ears in Diapers trying to help me and Yuna." He grinned as Wakka grimaced slightly, muttering 'diapers.'

He shook his head of those horrible memories. "Did Yuna tell you about Baralai and Paine coming to visit?"

Tidus raised an eyebrow, "No she didn't and with good reason. Last time they were here I had to sit through stories of the days of the 'Gullwings.'" He laughed, tilting his head towards the ground. "She knows me too well. She knows I would have made myself busy."

"Yea, well I'll be entertaining little Meva," he informed the blonde. "Hopefully, this time without incident."

"Tidus?" a soft feminine voice called from outside before Tidus could reply.

The blond smirked and turned his head towards the door. "Well, the little lady is calling me, better go," he waved over his shoulder as he jogged out the door. He stopped and looked around for Yuna. He spotted her standing in the center of the village, her shoulder length brunette hair blowing in the wind. He ran up behind her, wrapping an arm around her waist before lifting her into the air and spinning her round.

After her placed her on the ground he grinned and said, "You called?"

She smiled and said, "Yes, I did. I wanted to tell you that Paine-"

"Baralai and Meva are coming for a visit?" he asked with an innocent grin.

She pouted slightly, "How did you know?"

"Wakka told me." He smiled at her. "Wakka knows everything that goes on around this island. He'll know when you're pregnant before you will."

She laughed softly and shook her head, "That's Wakka for you."

888

Before long, the soft hum on an approaching airship was heard. Yuna grabbed Tidus' hand and squeaked with excitement. "They're here!" She pulled him as fast as she could towards the landing area. As they approached the green and black airship, Yuna shifted excitedly from one foot to the other.

Soon enough the ramp of the airship began to lower, slowing revealing Paine and Baralai, who was holding little Meva in his arms. Yuna ran over to Paine, pulling her into a hug before grabbing Meva from Baralai's hands and spinning the young girl around. The little girl was a perfect combination of Baralai and Paine. She had the witty caring side of Baralai along with the tough side of Paine. She had the tan skin of Baralai along with shoulder length silver hair. She un-mistakenly had the beautiful bright crimson eyes of her mother.

Tidus wandered over to Baralai and shook his hand before giving an awkward wave towards Paine. He had made the mistake of hugging her at his wedding and it wasn't something he ever wanted to do again. "It's nice to see you guys again."

"Yes, I've missed you so much," Yuna said as she shifted Meva onto her hip. "Especially you," she said with a smile as she tapped Meva on the nose. The younger girl giggled before hugging Yuna around the neck. "Come on, I have tea and snacks back at the house." She looked at Meva again, "And I know a certain orange haired boy who's excited to see you."

Together the group walked back to the village. Upon entering, they were greeted by the former captain of the Aurochs. "Hey you guys!" He approached them with his arms opened and at first it looked like he was going to hug Paine. However, at the last minute he turned his attention to the little girl in Yuna's arms. "Meva, Vidina is very excited about seeing you today."

She smiled as Yuna passed her off to Wakka. "Can I go see him now?"

He nodded with a grin and said, "Of course." He looked at Paine and Baralai. "Stop by the house, Lu's looking forward to seeing you both."

The couple nodded as he walked off towards his own home. After Wakka was gone, the four of them went back to Yuna's house where she finished making tea. "Do you remember when we stole Brother's teddy bear and put it in Rikku's bed?" Yuna asked with a grin as she poured Paine a cup of tea.

This question was followed by a very un-Paine like thing. She laughed. "And Brother came down into her room in a rage, yelling and screaming, waking her up."

Yuna nodded, her eyes wide as she reminisced. "Yeah and Rikku got so mad she tossed him into the closet door, completely unhinging it."

Paine and Yuna broke out into hysterics, while Tidus sat there staring at Paine with a horrified expression on his face. Of all the times he's ever seen Paine, he could barely recollect a smile, never mind a laugh. When they finished laughing, Paine glanced at Tidus, who was still staring at her like she had three heads, and snapped, "What?"

He jolted out of his dazed state and stammered out, "Uh… nothing…" He shifted uneasily in his chair under her gaze. "Well, uh… I'm going to see… what Wakka's doing!" He stood up and looked towards Baralai, "Wanna come, B?"

The Praetor nodded his head. "Sure."

"Alright then," He pushed back his chair and started for the door. "We'll leave you ladies to reminisce." He exited the house, Baralai following behind him. They walked in silence, till they came to the path that broke off towards the beach. "Glad to be out of that…"

Baralai laughed and agreed with him, "It was pretty bad."

The blond sighed, "You're gone for two years and the world's almost destroyed." He kicked some brush over to the side of the path. "I may have been gone, but with all the stories I've heard, I feel like I was on the airship with them."

Baralai smirked and replied, "I know what you mean, but at least you didn't experience most of it and have to hear the stories over and over again."

"It's crazy, I mean you don't hear me bragging about how I was the 'key' to defeating Sin," he stepped out onto the sand. He shook his head as he glanced to his left where the Aurochs were practicing Blitz Ball. "They've improved _a lot_ since I first met them."

They walked over to Wakka who was watching them practice. "Hustle, ya?" he called out to them.

Tidus smirked and patted his friend on the back, "You miss being the coach don't you?"

The Besaidian shrugged his shoulders. "I got a kid now. Gotta' keep my priorities in order, ya know?"

Baralai nodded solemnly. "I know exactly what you mean. And I know exactly when I'm stepping out of line as well, Paine doesn't let anything slide by."

888

Tidus and Baralai plopped themselves down onto the sand. Baralai ran a hand through his silver hair as a slightly discomforted expression came evident on his features. Tidus looked at him curiously before saying, "What's wrong, B.?"

"Bevelle is having problems… again," he said slowly.

The blond blitzer groaned and buried his face in his hands. "The temples?" he asked through his hands.

Baralai nodded. "There have been strange occurrences in the temples . Some actually claim the Fayth have reappeared…" His head fell into a downcast. "I don't know what I'm going to do if the problem grows."

"Don't call Yuna," Tidus said bluntly.

Baralai glanced at him, "Why would I call Yuna?"

"Because," Tidus started, moving his glance towards the Praetor. "She's Spira's 'Savior.' First there was Sin, then two years later was Vegnagun, then two years later was the possible war that she was called to negotiate… now two years later again this… not again, please," he said, his eyes pleading silently. "Make her your last resort."

Baralai nodded, "I won't ask her, though you know that I won't have to."

He sighed, "Yeah, I know…"

888

After some time passed, Tidus stood and brushed the sand off his pants. "We better head back, the girls are probably wondering what happened to us." He extended his hand and helped Baralai off the ground.

The silver haired man nodded. "That would be best."

They headed down the small path that led back to the main trail. As they reached the main trail they heard a faint cry of help, coming from the direction of the cove. "Help! Someone please!"

Tidus pulled out his Brotherhood and glanced at Baralai who had already pulled out his dual-bladed staff. The blond nodded towards Baralai before they took off running towards the cove. Upon arrival, they saw a young looking girl on the ground surrounded by a pack of dingoes. She lifted her gaze to the two men, "Oh thank goodness, Help!"

Tidus nodded, "Hold on, we'll get you out of there!"

Within minutes, Baralai and Tidus had taken out all of the fiends. Baralai walked towards the girl, and extended his hand. She took it, and he lifted her off the ground with ease. She smiled, "Thank you so much… uh…"

"Baralai," he pointed to Tidus, "And he's Tidus."

"Sonya," she replied as she ran a hand through her long raven colored hair.

The girl was clearly not a native Besaidian, or got out much in the sun. Her light colored skin gave that away, but regardless it didn't take away from her appearance. She brushed her side bangs away from her face revealing a pair of mystifying green eyes. The strange thing about them is that they weren't swirled, signifying she wasn't Al Bhed. She had on a crimson colored, collared button up shirt, with only the three middle buttons closed. She was wearing a black pleated skirt that came to about mid thigh. She was wearing a pair of knee high boots that tied up the front that made her appear to be about 5'7" because of the three-inch heels.

She took a step closer toward the two men, a sultry smile playing on her lips. "How could I ever repay you, two _brave, handsome_ gentlemen?"

Tidus laughed nervously as he ran a hand through his hair, "Heh, no need to… being able to help you is enough…"

"Oh, don't be silly," she said as she traced a finger down Tidus' chest. "I'm sure you can think of _some_ way for me to _repay_ you…"

The blonde rushed to his face as he tried to keep a doofy grin off his features. She turned and winked at Baralai who in turn began to blush too. The Praetor went to talk when a little voice was heard calling from a distance. "Daddy!"

All three of them turned and glanced down the path. The young silvered hair, Meva was running up the path. She jumped into Baralai arms. "Daddy!"

Sonya took a step away from Baralai, "You're… a father…?"

"Lai, we have to go," Paine said as she approached the group. "Little Meva here made a big mess…" she said giving her daughter a stern look.

The young girl buried her face in Baralai's shoulder. He smiled softly and ran a hand over her head. "What happened?"

"Well, Meva and Vidina were playing with Lu's moogles and Wakka snuck up behind her…" she shook her head and sighed before continuing, "Long story short, she hit Wakka, he jumped back, into Lu's book shelf…"

Baralai grimaced, "She's not angry with Meva is she?"

Paine shook her head, "No, but Wakka's in for it. Whi…" She trailed off as she saw the raven-haired girl. "Who are you?" she asked bluntly.

Sonya pursed her lips as she placed a hand on her hip. Tidus jumped in for introductions though before she could say anything. "Sonya, this is Paine. Paine is Baralai's wife. And Paine, this is Sonya. We just saved her from a pack of dingoes."

Paine looked curiously at Sonya's arm. "But not before she was hurt."

"Wha…?" She glanced at her arm. There was a 6-inch gash on her forearm. She glared at the cut. _'Damn it! I can't believe I forgot to heal that…Never mind that, I can't believe I let him get a hit on me…'_ She raised her head and glared into the sky. _'Damn you, Maximus…'_ "Guess I was just… careless…"

Paine raised an eyebrow toward the young girl and continued, "Though, that doesn't look like a wound you'd get from a dingo."

Sonya laughed uneasily as Tidus grabbed her wrist to look at the cut. As Tidus' skin made contact with Sonya's she shivered. _'What the hell?'_

"Yuna can fix that in a jiffy," Tidus said as he looked up at Sonya. "She's a white mage…"

Sonya's eye twitched slightly at the mention of white mage. She immediately retracted her arm and shook her head. "No, no, no, you've done more than enough for me. "

Tidus looked at her strangely. "This cut is pretty bad. You _really_ need to get it healed. I can't just let you go… unless… you're a white mage?"

She scoffed at that thought and said, "No. However, I'll be fine. I really must insist I be on my way. I've taken enough of your time."

"Don't be ridiculous, it will take Yuna two minutes to fix that," Tidus said as he gave her a light pull towards the village.

"Besides," Paine added in, "Yuna would have our heads if she found out we let an injured girl go."

Sonya's muscles tightened as curses ran through her head. _'What the hell? I have no choice here… I'll just have to make it quick…'_ Reluctantly, she nodded. "Alright, but then, I truly must go."

A smile came to the face of the blitzer as he replied, "Alright, then let's go!"

The blonde waved to Baralai and his family before heading down the path to the village. Sonya, lost in her own thoughts, remained remotely silent. She was gently touching the area of skin where Tidus' hand had been. _'That was such a strange feeling… I wonder what caused it...'_ She shook her head before she turned to the blitzer, who had been talking the whole time. "So, Sonya, where are you from?"

She moved her gaze forward as she shrugged her shoulders, only to receive a questioning look from Tidus. "I don't live in any particular place… I travel… _a lot._"

Tidus nodded, taking in the information. "That's cool. This your first time to Besaid?"

She kept her gaze on the road ahead as she answered, "I was here twice before… but a _long_ time ago." She laughed mentally, _'That's an understatement…'_

Tidus merely nodded as they continued down the path. Sonya put her hand to her mouth as she cleared her throat, gaining the attention of Tidus. "So, Yuna… she's your…" She trailed off waiting for him to finish her sentence.

"Wife. We've been married for three years now," he said with a distant look in his eye and a grin on his face.

"Oh…" Sonya looked at the ground as she walked, her raven hair covering her face. _'I'm on a role today…'_ She trailed behind a bit, not listening to what the blonde blitzer had to say. Finally reaching the entrance of the village, her emerald eyes scooped the area. There wasn't much to the town itself; you could pretty much see everything from the entrance. _'No wonder I never came back- it's so small…Sin really screwed this island…'_

She watched intently as the short brunette came running for Tidus. She rolled her eyes as they shared a loving embrace. With an arm still around Yuna, Tidus did introductions. "Sonya, this is my wife, Yuna. Yuna, this is Sonya. We found her on the trail to the cove. She was being attacked by a pack of dingoes."

Yuna smiled toward the younger girl, "Well, I'm relieved that you're ok."

"Well… not really…" Tidus took Sonya's arm again and showed Yuna the abrasion.

"Oh my," she exclaimed as she examined the wound. "This is pretty bad."

Sonya shrugged it off and responded with an indifferent, "Yeah, well… it happens."

Yuna looked up at Sonya curiously, a gentle zephyr blowing a few stray strands of hair in front of her face. With her hand, she moved it back behind her ear before asking; "You got this… from a dingo?"

Sonya roughly jerked her arm back, placing her hands on her hips. "I was careless," she growled as her eyes slightly narrowed.

Yuna shifted uneasily under her gaze. _'Something about this isn't right. A dingo couldn't have done that…' _She pulled at her shirt, straightening the wrinkles in it. "Ok, well… let me see your arm. I'll heal it," she whispered as she reached out for her arm.

Sonya took a step back, avoiding her reach. "It's really not necessary."

"Don't be ridiculous," she said slightly more forceful as she successfully grabbed her arm. "It'll be really quick." She closed her eyes, holding her hand open, palm facing the wound. She hummed lightly as she concentrated on the task at hand, allowing the healing magic to emit from her hand.

Sonya's arm twitched and she bit her lower lip. She let a few minutes pass enduring the 'healing' pain. _'And… that should do it.'_ She pulled her arm back away from Yuna, immediately covering the area where the wound was.

Yuna opened her eyes, staring at Sonya with utter confusion. "Why did you pulled away," she asked as her gazed moved down to Sonya's arm.

The younger girl's eyes shifted to the right before she responded with, "It was healed…"

Not believing her word, Yuna furrowed her brow and held out her hand. "Let me see."

Sonya made some swift motions with her hands over the wounded area of her arm before she held it out for Yuna to see. The ex-summoner looked back and forth between the arm and Sonya's face. Noticing the confusion on the brunettes face, Sonya pulled her arm back and with a shrug responded, "I'm a quick healer." She didn't wait for Yuna to respond; instead she spoke again. "Well, I thank you, but I must be on my way again," then without any hesitation, she spun on her heels and started out of the village.

"Wait!" Yuna called after her, taking a step forward. "The last boat to Kilika already left. The next boat won't leave till tomorrow."

She stomped her foot on the ground. _'Shit! I didn't even think about that! Forget it. I will NEVER come back here again!'_ Slowly she pivoted around to face the couple. "Well… that could be a problem…"

Tidus stepped up beside Yuna, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Do you have a place to stay?" She raised an eyebrow and slowly shook her head no. "Then, You're going to have to stay with us."

She shook her head more vigorously. "No, I couldn't put you out like that."

Yuna smiled sweetly as she said, "We have no problem with it, so, neither should you. We even have an extra room."

Tidus walked over placing an arm over her shoulders. "I won't take no for an answer."

She shrugged him off and crossed her arms as she sneered and replied, "Fine."

888

Sonya followed Yuna up the stairs and down the hall. "You can stay here for the night. The next boat leaves at seven tomorrow morning," Yuna informed her as she opened the door to the room.

The room was a bright yellow; Sonya covered her eyes with her hands and resisted the urge to hiss at the brightness of it. Regardless of the brightness of the room, it was cozy in and of itself. There was a small single bed to the left of the room, with a petite dresser on the back wall. "I'll leave you here for now, I'll call you when dinner is ready."

Sonya nodded before stepping into the room surveying it. She gave a slight nod as if to give her approval. _'This will do till later. At least I'll have some privacy.'_ She walked over to the bed, carelessly dropping herself down onto the soft comforter. She then lazily swung her left leg over the side of the bed whilst letting a sigh escape her lips. _'Of all the days to allow him to get a hit on me… had to be today…'_ Her emerald eyes flashed with hatred as she sat up, both her feet dangling off the edge of the bed.

She hopped off the bed and paced around the room, muttering a curse every time she turned to walk back across the room. She clenched her fists tightly, her knuckles whitening slightly. She stopped to look in the mirror, glaring at her own reflection. She raised her fist ready to bring it down on the mirror, when something caught her eye. In the corner of her eye she spotted a window. Immediately she spun on her heels and made a b-line right for it. She propped herself up and glanced out the window. _'Hm… two stories…not much of a problem…'_ She readied herself to jump out of the window when a voice called her from downstairs.

"Sonya, dinner is ready!"

She growled and climbed back in the window. She smoothed out her skirt before she strolled out into the hallway. As she descended the stairs, she could hear a few extra voices. She groaned internally as she finally stepped foot on the ground floor. She glanced at the table before her, Yuna was there, Tidus was there, and then there were three extra people. One was a woman with long black colored hair with hazel eyes. She was clad fully in black. Her facial expression was not that of a happy person and Sonya smirked as she caught the woman glaring at the man sitting besides her. The man had bright orange hair that curled into one giant flip; Sonya had to pry herself away from the gravity defying hair to look over the rest of him, not that it was much to speak of.

Lastly, her eyes lay on the younger boy. Her eyes went slightly wide as she looked at the boy. _'Children…'_ She cringed at the thought of little children running around her, praying her for attention. She looked at the boy sympathetically. _'Poor kid, look at his parents… Well… look at his father…'_ She shook her head before taking a few more steps towards the table. _'He'll never be quite right…'_

She swayed her hips as she approached the table, taking the only available chair, which just happened to be next to the little boy and Tidus. She rolled her eyes as she pulled back the chair. As the chair scratched across the floor, the woman in black looked up and glanced at Sonya, "Well, hello. Are you a friend of Yuna's?"

"No," she sharply replied as she pushed her hair back over her shoulders. Lulu's eyes went slightly wide as Sonya proceeded to sit down, not giving a further explanation for her reason of being there.

Yuna sent a wary smile toward Lulu who was looking at her questioningly. "Sonya is traveling to Kilika and she missed her boat. Tidus had found her on the trail and she was hurt. We insisted she stay the night with us…"

Wakka smiled and turned his head towards the newcomer. "Welcome to Besaid. How did you like it here?"

Sonya took a part of the dinner and gently placed it on her plate before she looked up at Wakka with an apathetic expression on. "I didn't," she answered simply before turning her attention to her plate.

Wakka sat there dumbfounded and for once in his life, he was speechless. He couldn't believe someone could be so candidly disrespectful and rude. He glanced around the table; everyone was wearing the same expression of disbelief, of course with the exception of Sonya whom was quietly eating her dinner.

888

After dinner, Lulu helped Yuna clear of the table, leaving the men with Sonya. The younger girl had her legs crossed and a distant look in her eyes. There was this awkward silence that hung heavy on the room, making the two men shift uneasily in their chairs. Sonya blinked a few times before she silently stood from her chair and made her way over to the window.

Tidus and Wakka absent-mindedly stared at her as she gazed out the window. _'There's something different about her…something… not normal…'_ Tidus mused as he watched her intently.

"Alright," Lulu said breaking the silence in the room. "Wakka, Vidina, let's go home. Vidina has to get ready for bed. He has school tomorrow."

Wakka nodded as he lifted his son into the air. He nodded in the direction of Yuna and Tidus before saying, "Thank you for dinner, it was delicious."

Lulu nodded in agreement, "Yes, Yuna, it truly was delectable."

The couple started towards the door and stopped just before it. Wakka moved his eye line toward Sonya who was still looking out the window. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Sonya." Not breaking her gaze from the window she merely made a sound that sounded like 'Mhmm…' Wakka and Lulu exchanged glances before finally exiting the home.

Yuna took a breath of air before taking a few steps towards Sonya. "So, Sonya, would you like to take a walk around the village. I mean you didn't really get to see the whole thing yet."

She slowly moved her head to look at Yuna. _'There isn't much to actually see…'_ She shrugged her shoulders. "Nothing else to do…"

Yuna smiled slightly and walked out of the house, "Follow me." Sonya let an exasperated sigh escape her lips as she crossed her arms and followed the petite brunette out of the house.

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"And finally, this is the temple," Yuna said as the approached the biggest building in the town.

Sonya sent Yuna a condescending smile. _'I never thought she'd be able to pull it off. We spent over an hour touring a village the size of a golf ball…'_

"Lady Yuna!" an older man called out as he ran towards the girls. Sonya eyed him over before shaking her head. _'Nah, red never was my color…'_

As he reached the girls, he bowed slightly, moving his hands into the Yevon prayer gesture. "Lady Yuna, how are you this evening?"

The title 'Lady Yuna' seemed to click in Sonya's mind. Her eyes went slightly wide as she looked over at the brunette. _'I knew the name Yuna sounded familiar! High Summoner Yuna! She defeated sin! Oh dear Dios… and I tried to – No! I didn't know…'_ She shook her head of any thoughts as she watched Yuna smile warmly and reply, "I am fine, Luzzu, but how many times must I tell you, call me Yuna. Formalities make greeting seem so… unfamiliar."

He bowed his head once more before apologizing. "Sorry, Yuna, but the habits gained from the crusaders are hard to break." He turned his attention to the raven-haired girl, running his eyes over her form. He took her hand in his and kissed it. "I do not believe we've met."

She slowly retracted her hand as she sent him a half smile before replying, "No we haven't; the name is Sonya."

He bowed his head once more, "It is a pleasure, Lady Sonya. I am Luzzu."

The emerald-eyed girl tried to her best to conceal her laughter. _'Lady Sonya? That's a new one…'_ She smirked to herself before she looked over at the horizon. The sun was slowly setting. _'Ok, this is as good a time as any.'_ Slowly, she stretched her arms over her head, her blouse raising slightly exposing part of her stomach. She let a yawn escape her mouth before she let her arms drop back down to her side. "I'm a bit tired, Yuna. If it isn't much trouble, could we go back to the house?"

"Hm? Oh… yes," She turned to Luzzu. "It was nice speaking with you again, Luzzu. Will you be around tomorrow?" He nodded his response. "Well then, good night." She turned her back to him and started back towards the house.

Sonya lifted her hand and gave the red head a small wave before following after Yuna. _'Hopefully I'll get off this island soon.'_

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After saying good night to Sonya, Yuna walked into her bedroom. Tidus was already seated on the bed, working on a different strategy for Blitzball. The High Summoner crawled into the bed behind him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and resting her head against his. He looked up from his work and tilted his head, kissing her on the cheek. When she only half smiled, he pushed his work aside and asked his wife, "Is something wrong, Yuna?"

She sighed before she leaned back on the bed, resting her head on the pillows. "It's Sonya. She wouldn't tell me anything about her, or her past and anytime I brought it up, she changed subjects."

Tidus turned the lights off before he laid besides his wife, wrapping a protective arm around her waist. "Well, not everyone is open about their past. Maybe some things happened in her past she wants to forget."

She traced her finger along his arm as she considered his words. After some time of sitting silently in the dark she said, "You're probably right, but… that wound she had today… do you really think a _dingo_ did that?"

Tidus pulled her closer to him and rested his head on her shoulder. "Maybe, maybe not. Does it really matter?"

"Well, that… and she pulled out of my healing. Now, I've been a white mage for a few years, I know she couldn't have possibly been healed, and yet- when she showed me she was," she let a frustrated sigh escaped her lips. "I don't know," she lifted her hand and ran it through Tidus' hair, "am I over reacting?"

"I don't think it's anything to worry about; however, if you really want to know… ask her tomorrow when you walk her to the docks," he offered her.

She contemplated his offer momentarily before cuddling up to him and whispering, "You're right… goodnight…"

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Sonya watched as the last light on the island went out. "Thank you, Dios. That only took, how long?" she muttered bitterly as she propped herself in the window. She glanced around the room once more, checking that she wasn't leaving anything behind. _'Nope, I have everything.'_ She stuck her head out the window looking around, just to be sure there were no stragglers who might spot her.

When the coast was clear she ran a slender hand through her hair and muttered, "Farewell, Besaid. May we never cross paths again." When those words left her lips, she pushed off the windowsill and out into the air. She pulled her legs close to her, flipping twice in the air, before she expertly landed in a crouched position on the ground below her.

Quickly she stood, fixing her clothing and hair. Her eyes darted around quickly before she casually started walking towards the village's exit. Or at least she was, until she heard a soft clapping from behind her. "Bravo, Sonya. I honestly didn't think you'd be able to do it."

She immediately spun on her heels, glaring into the darkness. "It was two stories, you honestly doubted I could do that, Maximus," she hissed.

"I wasn't talking about the jump. I meant the interaction with humans without killing them. I don't recall the last time you were able to do that." He took a few steps forward, into the light. He lifted his head, brushing back a few locks of light brown hair to reveal a pair of silver eyes. He walked slowly towards her, his tall body casting a shadow over her. "And I must congratulate you… two married men, in one day!"

She took a step back from the brunette; her head turned upwards looking at his face. "I didn't know…"

He lifted his head towards the heavens as he extended his arms. "The Praetor and the High Summoner's husband…"

"I said, _I didn't know_," she breathed through her teeth. In one swift motion, almost to quick to be seen, she was face to face with him, one hand grasping onto the front of his white shirt holding him down to her level. She had him so close to her face, their noses were practically touching. "I am _not_ a home wrecker. You know that." The reaction she got from him, was not one that she want, he smirked. She growled frustrated before she pushed him back with such a force that he stumbled back, almost falling over. "Forget it, Maximus… another night wasted…"

She turned her back to him, not wishing to further the conversation. He dusted his khaki pants off as he watched her walk off, listening to the heels of her boots click on the rock ground. He smiled to himself before calling out to her, "Chastity is a virtue that you might want to partake in, Sonya,"

In a few quick movements, Sonya had a rock in her hand. Then without thinking twice she turned towards the slivered eyed man before she hurtled the rock at his head. He jumped to his left, watching the rock harmlessly sail by his head. He smirked once more before innocently pointing out, "You missed."

She balled her hands into fists and glared at him. "Whatever, I'm out of here," she hissed before once again turning away from him. This time though, she took off running into the darkness of the night.

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Tidus turned to his left, a low grunt escaping his lips. His face contorted in a strange fashion as a cold sweat began to overcome him.

_The blonde blitzer was standing on a platform that was hovering over Spira; however, this wasn't the tranquil, opulent society he'd come to know. Rather, it was in complete disarray. The entire world was ablaze. Tidus stared at the damage with a look of pure horror on his features. Only when an explosion ripped through the air did his attention divert elsewhere._

_As he looked around he realized that he wasn't the only person there. To his left stood a woman. In her hands was a bow and arrow. She wore a long white flowing gown and her posture was perfect as she stood. Slowly she pulled her right arm, which was holding the arrow's end, back. She held it for a few moments, before she released her grip on it, allowing it to sail through the air. Tidus watched intently as the arrow fell onto Spira. As the point of the arrow fell onto Spira, a large booming sound echoed through the atmosphere. The woman tilted her head back, her long blonde hair falling back over her shoulders. She opened her mouth as she laughed loudly at the destruction she had caused. The blitzer watched in horror as she reached over her shoulder, into the sack on her back, readying herself for another attack._

_Before he could watch her repeat her action, his attention was called elsewhere. A deep, hearty laugh resounded to his right. As he turned his gaze in that direction his eyes fell upon a tall man with dark brown hair. His long black trench coat fluttered in the wind, exposing a five-foot long sword. The sword was black in color with a hint of red as if made fully of sulfuric brimstone. The brunette laughed as he hurtled huge orbs of dark energy through the air down towards Spira. He shook his head, the locks of brown hair sweeping to the right. His now fully exposed crimson eyes flashed with pleasure as the debris from his explosion flew through the air._

_Standing on opposing sides of Spira, they continued to do the same thing: Destroy Spira. Tidus glanced between the two. The fact that they were not standing along side one another gave off the idea that they're working together for a common goal, but nothing beyond that._

_The blue-eyed blitzer stumbled back away from the chaos and destruction. He fell to his knees as the feeling of helplessness washed over him. He had the desperate urge to help then, but he found he could do nothing more that sit back and watch the turmoil unfold. "Why…" he muttered lowly to himself._

_A wind whipped past him, blowing his blond hair over his eyes. He closed his eyes and lowered his head in shame when he heard a mystical disembodied voice reverberate around him. "Do you really wish to know why?"_

_Tidus jumped and looked around. His eyes finally rested on a group of pyreflies that was congregated in the center of the platform. After a small relapse in time, he found himself looking at a remotely tall, slender girl. She was clad in a long blue dress that caressed the floor as she walked. Her wavy, red hair fell to the center of her back, braids sporadically making appearances throughout it. Her orange eyes glinted with friendliness as she smiled. "I'm assuming you do not recall who I am?" When Tidus stared at her blankly she sighed sadly. "I should have expected as much… though you wouldn't know this form. It is I, Valefor."_

_Tidus opened his mouth to speak, and then closed it. He repeated this action several times before finally stuttering out. "What… is…" he glanced back towards the devastation, "that…?"_

_She slowly walked over to him. When she got in a close proximity to the blitzer she took a knee in from of him. "That," she motioned to the chaos behind them, "is Spira's future"_

_His eyes went wide with apprehension as he fumbled on his words. "Wha… Ho…" His head drooped. "Why?"_

_The Fayth placed a hand on the blonde's knee. "It doesn't have to be that way though…" Tidus raised his gaze to her. She gave him a reassuring smile. "We need you…"_

_The blue-eyed blitzer furrowed his brow in confusion. He studied the Fayth's face for some kind of hidden message behind her words. "I don't understand…"_

_"There is much you need to know. And I will tell you all that I know," she stood from the ground, brushing the little bit of dirt off her dress. She held her hand out to the blonde. He accepted and she helped him off the ground. "Come see me in the temple."_

_He nodded his head slowly as he muttered, "Alright. I'll be there…"_

_She smiled sweetly at him as she replied, "I knew you would." Then almost immediately she dispersed into pyreflies._

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His eyes fluttered open. Upon opening his eyes, he was greeted with the worried set of bi-colored eyes that belong to his wife. Yuna placed her hand on his cheek as she looked into his eyes. "Are you ok, sweetie?"

He sat up slowly, moving his legs over the side of the bed. He shook her head 'no' as he ran his hands over his face, removing the sweat that covered his forehead. "I have to go see the Fayth… now."

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A/N: Well there you have it, chapter 1. I do hope you all enjoyed it! I have so much planned for it. So please, if you did like it. Review it! Thank You!


	2. Fate Rests With You

A/N: -stares in amazement- I got 17 reviews for the first chapter –mouth hangs ajar- that… is… like… -wipes tears away- You like me! You really like me! –jumps for joy- That is the largest number of reviews I have ever gotten for a first chapter. I definitely have to say that you guys rock and I love each of you –hands out fluffy blue radio active badgers to reviewers- I apologize for the long wait, but… school has been Crazy –holds head- But I finished with colleges Apps and what not, and I got my first acceptance letter! –grins- So Yes, for all the people worried bout me, I am going to college! I really hope you guys like this chapter, it was slightly difficult for me to write because I wanted to give you some more background, and some action but not jump right into the plot immediately. I was hoping to get 15 pages, but I guess I'll live with 14. Okies, well you know the deal, you read and review… and I'll update as soon as I can!

**Featured Story of the Chapter: **Age of Heroes by Anbu713 If you like Star Wars this story is for you, it's great! He's an awesome writer and I seriously recommend it! Very detailed and just an awesome story development!

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing but this creative mind of which I use to write these stories  
(Scott) Kerri, you don't a brain… remember I had to lease that for you  
-glares at brother- I hate you…

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**Fate Rests With You**

"What do you mean you have to go see the Fayth?" Yuna asked. She ran a hand through her hair as she looked strangely at her husband. "Now?" He didn't speak. Instead, he merely nodded his head. The High Summoner sat back on the bed, her eyes transfixed on the blonde. "But… why?"

The Blitzer looked over his shoulder at his wife. His eyes were filled with trepidation and his voice was unsure as he spoke, "I don't know, but…" He trailed off as he noticed the look of skepticism on the brunette's features. "Please, Yuna, I have to do this."

She sighed as she lowered her head. For a few minutes she remained silent, her bi-colored eyes focused intently on her hands. "Tidus," she said lowly. She paused once more before she lifted her gaze to his face, her eyes locking with his. "I… don't understand. Why now?"

He took her hand in his. "Yuna, trust me…" He gave her a reassuring smile before he stood and made his was towards his dresser. Absentmindedly, he grabbed a pair of black shorts and a yellow T-shirt. He quickly slipped the shorts over his boxers. As he was buttoning them, he stole a glance at Yuna, who was still sitting on the bed, a look of bewilderment across her features. "Yuna… I'll be right back…"

She shook her head, a few strands of hair falling in front of her face. "I'm coming with you," she stated firmly. Slowly, she got off the bed and walked towards her own dresser. Silently she picked out an outfit and got dressed. After slipping on her green sweatshirt she looked over to the blonde. "I'm ready."

He smiled as he walked toward her. His cerulean eyes shone with affection as he took her hand in his own. "Thank you," he whispered as they both left the house for the temple.

It was still dark out when they left and the air was crisp. All the lights in the village were out, with the exception of the torches that are kept ablaze at all times within the temple. It is said that it is done so that any traveler may find shelter, no matter the time of day.

Together they made their way up into the main hall of the temple. Tidus' eyes got a distant look in them as his mind flashed back to the first time he'd stepped foot within the confines of the temple.

"_There's a room in there called the Cloister of Trials. Beyond is where the apprentice Summoner prays," the voice of Wakka echoed in his head. "If the prayer is heard, the apprentice becomes a fully-fledged Summoner, remember?"_

_"So someone is in there... somewhere and they haven't come back out. Right, I got it." The blonde nodded, soaking in this information._

_Wakka more to himself than to Tidus stated, "A day's already gone by." "Is it particularly dangerous in there?" The blitzer asked, his blue eyes filled with curiosity._

_The gravity defying haired guardian nodded slowly as his gaze remained set firmly on the door to the trials. "Sometimes, yes."_

_"Why don't you go in and help?" The blue-eyed blonde asked innocently._

_Wakka finally turned his head towards the new comer, acknowledging his presence. "There are already guardians in there. Besides, it's forbidden."_

_Tidus raised an eyebrow at the older man before he moved past him and started up the stairs. His cerulean eyes were filled with concern as he said, "Hey, but what if something happens? What if the Summoner dies?"_

_"The precepts must be obeyed!" The head priest shouted out at Tidus before he walked through the doors of the trials._

_Tidus scoffed at the priest before saying, "Like I care!" He then turned his back to the two men and ran through the door to the trials._

The blue-eyed blitzer shook his head of the memories and gave Yuna's hand a squeeze. Slowly, the couple walked up the stairs towards the temple's trials. Once inside, the blitzer released Yuna's hand and took a step inward. The appearance of the trials had changed drastically since he'd last been in them. The corners of the ceiling were covered in cobwebs, and the glyphs that used to serve as a precursor for the Summoners and her guardians were now dull and lifeless. Even the, now dust covered, spheres were dead, stuck in the walls of the trials for the rest of eternity.

An ominous feeling swept over the blonde, causing him to shudder violently. Yuna walked up behind him, placing a hand on his arm. "Tidus, are you ok?"

"Uh, yeah…" he muttered. "Come on," he took her hand once more. He silently led her through the trials. As they approached the antechamber, the blitzer abruptly stopped walking. He stood still and just stared at the door that led to the chamber of the Fayth. He looked at his wife and placed his hand on her cheek. "I'm sorry."

She covered his hand with her own and smiled warmly at him. "What are you sorry about?"

"I know you wanted to finally settle down and so did I," his head fell into a downcast. His blonde hair fell over his cerulean eyes. He spoke softly as he said, "And now we're caught up in something… again."

"Sweetie, we have all the time in the world. If this is something you have to do, I'm behind you one hundred percent." She took his hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "Come on, we aren't even sure what she wants. Let's go speak with her."

Tidus nodded. "You're right." He turned towards the chamber's door. "Let's go." He took a few steps forward and waited for the door to react to his presence. A few moments passed before the door shook violently and slid open.

The couple took a few steps inside the chamber and slowly the chamber door slid shut. A few moments passed before the Fayth materialized before them. The red haired Fayth bowed her head. "Thank you for coming, Sir Tidus." She moved her gaze to the petite brunette, "Lady Yuna," and bowed her head once more, "It is a pleasure to see you."

Yuna smiled warily towards her first aeon. "I wish I could say the same for you. However, whenever you show up, there are problems for Spira."

She smiled half heartily, her orange eyes filled with understanding. "I know, and I am afraid this time is no different. However, before I started. You two should sit." She motioned to the concrete ground. "It may take a while."

Tidus slowly lowered himself to the ground. He sat cross-legged and Yuna sat besides him, her legs bent to the side as she leaned against her husband. Tidus wrapped an arm around her waist. "Ok, Valefor, what's the damage?"

The Fayth sighed as she ran her hand through her hair. "Spira is in great danger." She rested her eyes on the blitzer. "What you saw, Tidus, is Spira's future."

Tidus tilted his head up. "Who were those people in my dream?"

"Gabriella and Hades… they are the goddess and god of light and darkness," she said solemnly. "I'm sure you've heard about their fates…" The couple nodded their answer, and the Fayth continued. "Well, they no long wish to rule just the Farplane. They want to rule Spira once again."

"But how can they leave the Farplane?" Tidus questioned, his grip around his wife tightening.

But, before the Fayth had the opportunity to speak, Yuna muttered, "The temples…"

Valefor nodded. "Exactly, the temples hold a passageway from the Farplane to Spira. The passages have been kept guarded by the Fayth, however, we are beginning to feel our powers diminishing." She ran a hand through her long hair again as she glanced at the couple. "We won't be able to hold them off much longer…"

Tidus leaned forward, removing his arm from around Yuna. He rested his elbows on his knees and he rested his chin on his fists. His eyes had a glazed look as he thought about Spira's current situation. When a few minutes passed, Tidus furrowed his brow. "But… what can I do?"

"Yes, I was getting to that," she took a breath of air before continuing with her explanation. "There is only one way to prevent this from occurring. In order to defeat Gabriella and Hades, all the gods and goddesses must be present. It is only through a combined effort that you will be able to overcome this threat to Spira."

"That's all well and good, but what does that have to do with me?" the blonde inquired.

"Tidus, when Yuna asked the Fayth to returned you, we had to have a reason. All things in Spira have a set balance and order to it. If we were to just bring you back with no purpose, that balance would have been disrupted." The Fayth waltzed around the chamber, her movements, much like her words, were fluid-like and everything seem to just flow. "Not wanting to disappoint Lady Yuna, we had found ourselves in quite a predicament. Luckily though, recently an heir had passed away…" Her words trailed off as she glanced at the couple. Tidus and Yuna's expression clearly stated they were confused. "Let me put it this way… Tidus, you are the heir to the water god, Poseidon. That was our purpose for bringing you back."

Tidus was floored. His mouth hung slightly ajar as his mind tried to register the information her just obtained. "I, uh… wait. What?"

The red hair Fayth grasped the sides of her dress before she sat before him. "Tidus, you are the water god. This is why I called to you." Her eyes scanned his face, searching for a sign of comprehension. "Do you understand?"

He ran both his hands through his hair and kept his gaze to the floor. "Ok… but," he lifted his head and glance at the Fayth. "What do I do?"

"You must find the heirs to the elements… this is the only way to prevent Spira's demise." She turned her attention to the High Summoner. "I apologize, Lady Yuna, we tried desperately to fight them back. We had no other choice."

Yuna nodded her head slowly, her eyes laced with concern. "I understand, and there is no need for an apology." She gripped Tidus' hand in her own and looked at the Fayth. "So, we have to find the seven heirs?"

"Five," she stated firmly. "You need to find the gods and goddesses of wind, fire, earth, thunder, and ice." She watched as the couple furrowed their brows in confusion. "The other two elements, light and darkness, are not gods… they're-"

"Angels," Tidus finished for her. The ginger-eyed Fayth nodded her head. Tidus quirked an eyebrow before he said, "Now, these gods. Do you know where they are?"

The blonde watched in dismay as the Fayth shook her head 'no.' "The only thing I can tell you about them is they will most likely be found where that element in prominent. For instance, the god or goddess of ice may be found in the chilling forest of Macalania, or upon the frost peaked summit of Gagazet." She spoke slowly and softly so that the couple's mind could take in all this new information. "First, though, I would check the areas around the temples that the Aeons of that specific element reside."

The blitzer nodded before he spoke. "Now, do these gods and goddesses know about their 'special quality'?" Again the Fayth's response was a negative one. The blond sighed heavily. "Is there anyway you can contact them?"

"No, I am truly sorry that I can not be of more assistance. However, the Fayth can only appear to a select few. Because of your past connections with the Fayth I was able to contact you in your sleep," the orange-eyed woman responded.

"How are we supposed to find them then?" the blue-eyed blonde questioned.

"This is where the seeking out of the angels comes into play. The angels have a sensory receptor to the gods. They will be able to discern almost instantly if the god or goddess is present." She placed her hand on the blitzer's knee and locked eyes with him. "It is imperative that you find these two angels. They are the only hope to finding the remaining five heirs to the elements."

"But," Yuna's voice cut in. Her tone had a doubtful ring to it. "How are we supposed to find two mythical creatures that have been in existence for thousands of years and never been seen?"

"Hey," Tidus cooed, wrapping an arm around her waist once more. "We just have to look for an old chick with a halo and a set of wings," he spoke in a jovial tone.

The red haired Fayth giggled. "Now quite." She shifted her weight and slowly got to her feet. "I'm relieved to hear your optimism, but… I do not think he would appreciate your depiction of him."

"He? But I thought this was the heir for Gabriella," Tidus inquired.

"He is. The heirs will not necessarily be the same gender as the original god." Her smiling face dropped and her expression became grave. "Though, this will not be easy," she ignored the blitzer as he groaned and mumbles 'is it ever?' "The two angels are not to be taken lightly. They are highly powerful and will not be thrilled with the idea of helping you. Not to mention they will detest the idea of working with one another. Convincing them will be one of the hardest parts of this journey you are going to embark upon."

"Well, do you know what they look like?" the reasonable voice of Yuna questioned.

"Uhm, I have only met with him once," she closed her eyes as she tried to recollect the appearance of the angel. When a few minutes passed, she sighed. "I am sorry. I do not recall his appearance, I have not seen him in over 1300 years. And, I cannot help you with Sky's Hell, for I have never once made their acquaintance. The only thing I can tell you, is to search for them where large crowds gather. Look for a contrast where there is great good the darkness will linger back, sneering at the light. There you will find them. I apologize sincerely, Sir Tidus, Lady Yuna. I really wish things did not have to be this way."

Tidus uncrossed his legs and maneuvered into a standing position before helping his wife to her feet. He half smiled as he told the Fayth, "It's alright – we understand. We'll find them. Every thing will be ok."

"Thank you." The red haired Fayth closed her eyes tightly as a pained expression crossed her features. A few minutes passed before she took a deep breath and said, "I must stress the importance of this. You must find them quickly. We won't be able to hold out much longer. Now, I must go, I'm needed, Farewell." And as soon as those words were spoken, the Fayth disappeared from their sight.

Yuna glanced at her husband and in a half joking manner she stated, "Here we go again…"

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When they exited the temple, the sun had already risen up into the sky. "We're going to have to tell everyone…" Tidus said slowly, as he tried to adjust his eyes to the sunlight. "I'm sure they'll be thrilled."

Yuna nodded in agreement. "We should tell Lulu and Wakka first. You know they'll be upset if we don't." She stuck her hands in the front pocket of her sweatshirt before she started for Lulu's home.

As they approached the Mage's house, a thought struck the young brunette. She stopped walking and did a completely volte-face. "Oh my gosh, I completely forgot about Sonya!" With some pep in her step she started back towards her own home. "I'll go get her."

"Uh, ok… I'll stay here," the blonde called after his wife.

Quickly she scurried over to her house. She tossed open the front door, not bothering to close if behind her. She ran up the stairs, before she headed down the hallway towards the bedroom Sonya was occupying. She knocked on the door twice before calling through the door, "Sonya? Are you up?" The response she got was silence. _'Heavy sleeper?'_ She shrugged her shoulders and turned the doorknob. Slowly, she opened the door and peeked her head in. "Sonya…?"

She looked around the room. It was in perfect condition; it looked completely undisturbed. The only sign that someone had been in there was the open window…

888

"So, she up now?" The blitzer questioned as Yuna approached.

She shook her head. "She wasn't there… and the room didn't even look like she slept there."

Tidus draped an arm over her shoulder and pulled her close to him. "She probably woke up when we left for the temple and got an early start for the docks." He planted a small kiss on the top of her head. "Come on, let's go to Lu and Wakka's."

She nodded and in silence they made their way to the door of the mage's home. Tidus used his free hand to knock. They waited a few minutes before a tired looking mage answered the door. She was wearing black sweatpants, and a gray tank top. Her hair was disheveled and she had a tired look on her features. "Yuna," she looked from the brunette to the blonde, "Tidus… what are you doing here so early?"

"It's a long story, can we come in, Lu?" Yuna asked softly.

The black mage nodded slowly as she stepped aside, permitting entrance into her house. "Get comfortable," she said as she motioned to the living room. "I'll get Wakka." She walked off into the adjoining room as the couple took a seat on the large couch in the center of the room.

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Lulu placed a pale hand on Yuna's knee. Her hazel eyes were distant as she contemplated the couple's words. "I know that there is nothing I can say to you that will make you stay, as I understand why you wouldn't. You have an affinity for helping others." The former guardian locked eyes with the High Summoner, "And I can not be there with you, but, please, Yuna," she looked at the blonde blitzer, "Tidus, be careful."

The couple merely nodded their heads. Tidus placed his hand on the older woman's shoulder. "Don't worry, Lu. We're going to be fine."

Yuna nodded her head in agreement. "I'm going to call Rikku. She and Gippal have an airship, I'll see if they would assist us." She looked at the woman she refers to as her older sister with a warm smile on her face. "You know she's always up for an adventure."

"Not to mention, one hell of a fighter," Tidus said with a smirk as he recalled his first encounter with Rikku in the Baaj Temple. Subconsciously, he rubbed his stomach before continuing, "We knew you two would want to know…"

Wakka nodded in an appreciative manner before he took a seat beside his wife. He placed his hand on her knee and in an attempt to lighten the mood he said, "Guess this is just another adventure we'll have to sit out on."

"When do you plan on leaving," the mage asked as she rose from the couch, turning her attention to the brunette ex-Summoner.

Yuna stole a glance at Tidus before looking back at her old friend. "As soon as possible, the sooner the better. They didn't leave us with much room for leniency." She ran a hand through her hair as an exasperated sigh left her lips. "So, we're going to call Rikku next and see what she thinks and if she'll help us." She paused and looked at her spouse who was approaching her.

He placed an arm over her shoulder and said, "I'm not sure when we'll be back. I would hope it would be soon, but…" he trailed off. "When we do, it'll be with good news," he said with a smile. He looked at the couple standing in front of them. Though they didn't say it, he could tell that they were really worried about the welfare of him and Yuna. "We'll be ok. I promise, I won't let anything happen."

"I know," Lulu stated as she stepped forward. She moved swiftly and wrapped her arms around the neck of the younger girl. "I know you're a big girl now, Yuna, but I still worry about you."

The younger girl wrapped her arms around the back of the mage and rested her head on her shoulder. "I know, Lu, I know. Please try not to worry, we'll call from the spheres on the airship, and if you get one of your feelings, you can call us. We'll give you the number." She pulled back slightly and the mage half smile. "We'll be alright."

The black mage smiled and nodded. She used her left hand to smooth the hair of the younger brunette. "I know." She looked down at the floor where the young Vidina was pulling on the leg of his mother's pants. She bent down and lifted him into the air.

The young child tilted his head to the right as he looked at his mother. "Mommy, why are you sad?"

The mage half smiled and replied, "Auntie Yuna and Uncle Tidus are going on a trip. Mommy is just going to miss them while they are gone."

"Don't worry, Mommy, I'll keep you company while they're gone," Vidina replied before he wrapped his arms around her neck.

Lulu smiled before she placed the boy on the ground once more and said, "Honey, go play. I'll be there in a few moments ok?"

The boy nodded and turned to run to the other room. Mid-sprint he stopped and turned back to the group of adults. He ran over to the High Summoner and the Blonde blitzer, wrapping his arms around the two of them. "Have fun on your trip, Auntie Yuna and Uncle Tidus!"

Yuna's smiled warmly at the ginger haired boy before she ran her hand over his head. "Thank you, Vidina, we'll be back soon." He looked up at them with a toothy grin before he continued his journey into the other room. Yuna smiled towards the parents before saying, "He's a lovely kid."

Wakka nodded. "Yup. Chip off the ole' block, ya?"

Tidus laughed, "Not quite…" He shook his head, the blond hair falling over his blue eyes. "Anyway, we just wanted to warn you. We didn't want to just run off and have you worry about us."

"Yeah, run off…" Wakka said as he gave Yuna a stern look, not forgetting the stunt Yuna had pulled four years ago when she ran off with Rikku to become a sphere hunter. He took a few steps forward and placed his hand on the blonde's shoulder. "Be careful," he instructed before pulling the younger man into a bear hug.

The two couples said their final good byes. Yuna and Tidus walked off to their own home. Tidus walked past the living room and into the kitchen where the sphere was. He slowly dialed the number for Gippal and Rikku's airship. It rang a few times before the familiar green-eyed leader answered. "Yo, Tidus, what's up?" Gippal greeted with a smirk.

Tidus sighed and said, "Hey, Gippal. Do you have some time, because I have some things to tell you…"

888

Within forty-five minutes, Yuna and Tidus were standing on the beach speaking with the Al Bhed coupled. They tried to their best abilities to explain what was going on. When they finished Yuna looked into the swirled eyes of her Al Bhed cousin, "So, will you and Gippal help us?"

The Al Bhed smiled brightly and knocked on the brunette's head. "Hello? Yunie, of course we'll help you!" She placed one hand over her eyes as she scanned the area, "So, where are we going first?"

"That's the thing," the Bi-colored woman started. "We don't know. We're looking for two people we've never met before. I was hoping you two would be able to help us. Valefor said we have to look for them in crowded areas." She smiled at towards her younger cousin. "And I know you and Gippal would know where the most densely populated areas are."

The blonde smiled, "Well, you came to the right people then!" She skipped over to Gippal and wrapped her arms around his waist from behind. "Gippie, where is a place where a lot of people gather."

He turned around and poked her nose with his index finger, "Luca, Cid's girl, you should know that." He smirked, his swirled green eyes twinkling with that same mischief they did four years ago. "People gather there for Blitz, Sphere Break, and the hot new club Ifrit's Inferno."

"Well, Ifrit's Inferno, that sounds like the first place we'll be going to search for these two 'angels'," Tidus proclaimed from behind the Al Bhed couple. "It's logical right, Blitz is on its off season, Sphere Break doesn't start up for another few months, the club would be the only logical place…" He looked around the group before he added in, "Right?"

The leader of the Machine Faction nodded his head, "Very good, Ti. I swear you're the next Cranmulg Rumsac." The two girls giggled as Tidus narrowed his eyes at the Al Bhed man. He had no time to respond because the moment he opened his mouth to do so, the red headed ex-crusader came frantically running down the sandy beach.

"Yuna, Tidus!" He strained his voice to shout. "Come quickly!"

The group exchanged glances before running up to meet Luzzu. "What's wrong, Luzzu?" Rikku asked, concern lacing her emerald eyes.

"Lady Rikku," he bowed his head. "There are fiends coming from the temple," he stuttered out in between breathes.

"Oh no!" Yuna said as she brought a hand to her mouth. "Not again!" She gave a pleading look towards her cousin. Rikku nodded her head towards the brunette before pulling the daggers off her waist and running up the shore line back towards the village, "Come on, Yunie!"

Yuna pulled her guns from their holsters and ran up the shore after the perky Al Bhed. Tidus shrugged his shoulders and said, "Well, that settles it." He looked towards Gippal and jerked his thumbs in the direction of the village. "You coming?"

Gippal pulled his gun off the larger holster attached to his back and said, "Like I had some kind of choice." Together the two blondes sprinted off towards the village. "Just hope the ladies save us some."

888

When they reached the temple, they saw something none of them had ever seen in all their travels of Spira. "What in the name of Machina is that?" Gippal exclaimed as the fiend came into clear view.

Before them stood the strangest looking fiend any of them have ever encountered. It looked like an over grown Coeurl without the long, dangerous whiskers. It was gray in color with five diagonal black stripes along the sides of its body. There was black fur puffed out around the neck. The fiend reached an abnormal height of eleven feet tall and stood on all fours. Each of the paws were 'equipped' with five razor sharp claws, ready to tear through anything that got in their way. Instead of the whiskers a Coeurl would have, this fiend had a long spiked covered tail. It waved through the air menacingly as the sharp pieces of metal glistened in the sun. The fiend's mouth hung ajar as it growled lowly at the group, showing off its pearly white weapons.

"That is definitely a face only a mother could love," Gippal said as the fiend brought its paw down on the ground, sending a slight tremor through the little village.

Rikku narrowed her eyes as she smacked the arm of her boyfriend and whispered harshly, "Are you out of your mind? This is no time to be joking!"

The fiend hissed and narrowed its crimson colored eyes. "I think it heard you, Gippal," Tidus whispered as he rested his hand on the hilt of his blade.

Without forewarning, the animal bounded straight for the group. Instinctively, they dispersed. Yuna and Gippal ran to the left while Tidus and Rikku sprinted off to the right. "Any ideas?" Rikku questioned as she gripped tightly on her daggers.

Tidus unsheathed his blade and looked towards the young Al Bhed, "Uhm, I was thinking, we attack… until it dies," he said with some uncertainty in his voice.

The younger blonde rolled her eyes. "Brilliant, and if that fails?" she asked sending him a side-glance.

The blitzer cocked his head to the left and smirked, "It won't. Now, you go that way," he motioned to the left, "and I'll go the other way." He glanced at the mysterious fiend before continuing; "It can't go for both of us if we go in separate ways." She nodded her head before speeding off to the left. Tidus didn't watch as she ran; instead, he immediately took off the other way.

The monster moved its head from side to side before emitting a loud growl and going after the blitzer. It halted his movements by slamming its paw down in front of him, knocking him off balance. The blue eyed Blitzer looked up at the fiend and smiled warily, "Nice kitty…" The beast roared before swiping at the blitzer with its claws. Using the agility obtained through Blitz, he maneuvered out of the way. He landed his jump, down on one knee. He lifted his head, and in one swift motion he grabbed the hilt of his blade with both his hands and swung it at the left leg of the animal. The metal breezed easily through the fur of the animal and gashed the skin in a diagonal slice. Slowly, the blood trickled down the leg, staining the gray fur. The beast pulled its leg back away from the blitzer.

As it was examining its leg, Gippal and Yuna rapidly started firing their guns at the fiend from behind. In retaliation the cat like fiend swung its tail down in hopes of taking out its new assailants.

Yuna pushed off the dirt ground into the air. She twisted her body as she flipped safely over the lethal tail. Gippal; however, was not as fortunate. He scrambled desperately to get out of the way, but found out very quickly he couldn't. The spiked tail swooped down on him. As the two of them made contact, one of the spikes punctured his skin under the right side of his ribcage. The fiend lifted him into the air before tossing him precariously into the wall of the temple.

Rikku's eye filled with terror as she watched her boyfriend sail through the air. "Gippal!" she screamed out as his body connected with the concrete wall of the temple. She quickly pressed a button on the wristlet she was wearing. She placed both her wrists together as a green light engulfed her. When the light died down she was clad in a properly fitted alchemist dress sphere. She held the gun tightly as she rushed to the aid of Gippal.

To give Rikku time, Yuna continued to empty rounds into the overgrown feline. The fiend, obviously growing irritated by Yuna's attacks, jerked it head in her direction. It hissed loudly before it spat at the High Summoner. The petite brunette rolled out of the way to avoid the spritzing from the mouth of the feline. Out of curiosity, she turned her head back to where she had been standing. Her eyes widened as she silently thanked Yevon for her reflexes.

Tidus landed another hit on the fiend before stealing a glance at his wife. He quirked an eyebrow as he muttered, "Whoa, talk about spitting acid…" _'I hope those people like fresh air…'_ He thought as he looked at the house, thats wall was deteriorating before his eyes.

"We might want to be really careful," the High Summoner said as she watched the wall turn to nothing.

"Ya think?" Tidus muttered still watching the wall in awe. While the blonde was distracted by the disintegrating wall, the fiend knocked him to the ground with an over grown paw. It showed its claws and brought it down at a fast pace, with all intentions of impaling the blitzer. "Shit!" Tidus called out as he covered his head with his arm and tried to roll out of the way.

"Flare," the calm voice of the black mage called from the right of Yuna. Tidus opened his eyes in time to see a large fluorescent flame surround the beast. It screeched out in anguish and twitched in agony as the spell scorched its body.

"Thanks, Lu," Tidus said. He held his sword tightly as he glowered at the hurt fiend before him. He took a deep breath before he ran straight at the fiend. As he neared, he jumped up into the air. His body turned as he flipped through the air. While he descended he pushed his sword outward, stabbing the fiend in the chest. He dragged the blade as he landed before he roughly jerked it out, spritzing blood on the ground.

The beast roared loudly as it jumped up onto its hind legs. The blonde blitzer stumbled back so as not to be crushed with the descending fiend. When the fiend made contact with the ground again, a quake shook the village. It whipped its tailed around, knocking into a few homes and the temple.

"It's destroying the village!" Yuna cried out as she watched the opening to the temple crumbled down. "Oh my Yevon, Rikku!" She narrowed her bi-colored eyes in the fiend's direction. "I want this thing out of my home!" She hit one of the buttons oh her wristlet, and a bright violet light engulfed her completely. When the light faded, she was clothed in the purple colored gun mage dress sphere. "What's your weakness," she whispered as she used the gun to scan the fiend before her.

_Name?  
__HP?  
__Weakness?  
ALERT: High Concentration of Holy Magic is Present_

Yuna stared at the stats in confusion. Lulu glanced at the brunette and said, "What's wrong, Yuna?"

"There is no information of the fiend…" she lifted her head from the statistics in front of her and glanced towards her friend. "The only information I got is, that there is a high concentration of Holy Magic present," she muttered as she lowered the fun. "Which… is odd…"

Lulu nodded slowly contemplating her words. "Black Magic?" She tilted her head to the left and asked, "You remember your magic training?"

The young brunette nodded her head and changed dress spheres once more. She was wearing a dark amethyst colored dress that clung to her body till the knees, where it loosened slightly. On her head was a floppy, pointed hat, and in her hands was an intricately designed and colorful staff. She glanced at Lulu and said, "Together? I'm thinking… Firaga?" The elder mage nodded and readied herself for the consecutive spells she was about to cast.

While they attacked the fiend with magic, Tidus was doing a full frontal physical attack. He found the monster's stamina decreasing, but its attacks strength wasn't. The monster lowered its head to take a bite of the blonde. He jumped back and threw up his arm in a sad attempt to defend himself. He yelled out in pain as the beast sunk its teeth into his forearm. Impulsively, with his good hand, he brought up his blade and jammed it into its throat. The fiend's body jerked violently as the blade cut through its neck. It released his arm, as it coughed and sputtered out blood onto the blitzer. It staggered back a bit, knocking into Lulu's home, knocing in the side of the house before it collapsed. It burst into a swarm of pyreflies, that oddly grouped back together and flew straight for the temple.

Tidus dropped his blade to the floor before he wiped the blood off his face. He tilted his head down and glanced at his arm. The skin was completely shredded and it was bleeding profusely. He grimaced at the appearance of his arm before he felt a warm calmness run through his body. He watched as the wound gradually stopped bleeding and started to heal. He turned his head towards his wife who smiled at him before rushing off to aid the other people in the village.

He surveyed the town, looking at all the destruction that was caused. Three houses were damaged, not to mention the temple entrance where Rikku and Gippal had been. He jogged over to that area to go help the two Al Bhed. As the people of the village cleared away the debris, they came to a little grotto where the blonde Al Bheds were trapped. Tidus reached out his hands and offered them to the petite Al Bhed. "What in the name of Sanubia was that!" she exclaimed as she emerged back out into the sunlight.

888

Tidus stood over looking the watery cove with his arms crossed. "We were fortunate, Tidus," came a voice from behind him. He turned around slowly, uncrossing his arms as he spun. He half smiled when he saw the black mage with her young son. "No one was seriously harmed. Homes can be rebuilt… people can't"

He nodded his head, his blue eyes flashing with anger and purpose. "Listen," he said as he locked eyes with the mother. "You, Wakka, and Vidina can stay in our home till you fix yours."

"Thank you," she replied with a smiled. "We appreciate it." She fixed her gaze on the path that lead back to the town. "You think that fiend has something to do with what the Fayth said to you?"

"I'm not sure," he replied. An expression of fierce determination crossed his features as he glanced up at the sky, the sun setting over the horizon. "But I wouldn't be surprised. We'll do this. We won't let anything happen to Spira."

888

A/N: First I would like to thank you all for reading this, now in case you didn't get the memo, the forbade us to write thank you, and gave us this splendid little review response thing –scowls- I hate it, but I really appreciate all the review, and I thank you all so much! So Please keep it up! Review! Tooodles!


	3. The Search Begins

A/N: Well this was a relatively fast update huh? I was going to be spiteful and not update til I got 14 reviews seeing as how I got 17 reviews for chapter one and I really didn't think it was asking all that much, but… number 1 I should know better having this being my third story and I got 11 reviews anyway. So all is well. Well, uhm… The action starts in this chapter –grins- more towards the end, and I know some of the chapter doesn't seem relevant, but it kinda ties into an idea I have for later, sooo… Yeah. Ok, well Enjoy!

Da KeR MysTeRr: Hey, Joana, wanna help me with my disclaimer?  
Reyavie: sure  
Reyavie: okkies, lemme see -coughs-  
Da KeR MysTeRr: -hands you tissue- cover you mouth  
Reyavie: alright, alright -rolls eyes-  
Reyavie: Anyways Ker waves doesn't own anything at all besides a really annoying Karma  
Reyavie: For a while that is. Because I say she will -laughs evilly-  
Da KeR MysTeRr: -covers your mouth- JOANA! What are you doing!  
Reyavie: huh...scaring the living daylights out of everyone?  
Da KeR MysTeRr: -whispers fiercely- But you're giving away my evil plans for the world -turns to everyone else and smiles sweetly-  
Reyavie: -smacks forehead- Sorry...but it's not as if this will leave this fic  
Da KeR MysTeRr: oh it better not -glares at readers, then mutters foul words bout non-reviewers-  
Reyavie: I think...hope...okay. I'm going to be direct you -points- read AND review or else I'll be REALLY mad.  
Da KeR MysTeRr: And that's not something you want  
Reyavie: -narrows eyes- Last time that happened people thought it was a natural disaster -smiles- So press the button on the bottom ok?  
Da KeR MysTeRr: -Whispers- She knows who you are and where you live, so you better do what she says -nods lots-  
Reyavie:-grins evilly- Okay, we're done. You can read now. And remember...I'm watching you -creepy tone-  
Da KeR MysTeRr: -shudders- Ok well you know the deal.. do it.. or... I'm sending her after you!  
Readers: -Flee hastily-  
Reyavie:Hey! Come back -runs after-  
Da KeR MysTeRr: HEY THIS IS A NO FLEEING ZONE! CAN'T YOU READ THE SIGN? –points to sign-  
Reyavie: Not really, no. And I'm running. Not fleeing  
Da KeR MysTeRr: I wasn't talking to you! I was talking to them -points to readers-  
Reyavie:...Good point. Stop running you lot!  
Da KeR MysTeRr: -locks all doors and barricades all exits- Now… as we were saying -glares and in demonic voice- Read and Review!  
Reyavie: -bows to applause-  
Reyavie: Now shoo -waves to fic-  
Reyavie: okkies, I think this was direct -grins-  
Da KeR MysTeRr: -grins- have fun! -waves and walks off-

888

**The Search Begins**

The next day around noon Tidus, Yuna, Rikku, and Gippal were all situated on the airship. Their destination was Bevelle. "And the reason we aren't just calling him would be…?" Gippal asked as he directed the airship through the sky.

"I tried," Yuna affirmed. "The lines we're busy. They have been busy since around 6AM." She crossed her legs at the ankles and ran a hand through her hair before she continued, "And Baralai is the Praetor, he has a right to know what's going on with the temples."

Gippal nodded his head as he turned his attention back to the control panel. The swoosh from the electronic door behind them was heard. Yuna turned her head to see her cousin and her husband coming back from their tour of the ship. "And that is the _HighWind_ fastest airship in all of Spira" the perky Al Bhed informed the blitzer as they walked through the doorway. "Heya, Yunie," she greeted brightly. "You ever get in touch with Lai?"

The half Al Bhed smiled at her younger cousin. "Hi, Rikku. And… no, I didn't. We're heading to Bevelle right now."

Rikku's eyes went wide and sparkled with excitement. "Oh! I can't wait to see little Meva!" she exclaimed as she rushed over to Gippal. "How much longer till we get there, Gippie?"

"Hold your chocobos, Cid's girl," he said as he glanced at her. "We got a good hour left before we reach Bevelle."

She pouted slightly as she whined, "Awh, poopie!"

Gippal ruffled her hair. He smirked as she pulled away swatting at his hands, "Why don't you show our little celebrity around?" he offered as he motioned towards Yuna.

"I already saw the ship," Tidus said as he took a seat beside his wife.

The male Al Bhed gave him a dry look before he explained his prior statement, "I meant Yuna." Then without even allowing the High Summoner the chance to accept or decline the offer, Rikku grabbed her hands and dragged her out the door.

888

As they neared the main city of Spira, Bevelle, the screen before Gippal started flashing showing that there was an incoming transmission. He pressed a few keys on the board before him and the screen flickered a few times before a clear-cut image of a Bevelle soldier appeared. "Identify yourself," he demanded.

Gippal quirked an eyebrow before a smirk crossed his face. "It's Gippal, leader of the Machine Faction," he stated clearly as his good eye looked intently at the screen.

"What business do you have with the Praetor at this time?" he questioned sternly.

"I apologize, but I am in no position to disclose that information to anyone, but Praetor Baralai himself," he said before he turned his head. He glanced at Yuna and motioned for her to come over. When she was standing besides him he continued speaking, "The High Summoner and I have to meet with the Praetor… immediately."

Upon the sight of the High Summoner the guard immediately allowed them access to land the airship within the city's walls. "Told you. You're a celebrity," he altered his voice to a high pitched squeaky one before he finished up with a, "Yunie!"

"Hey!" the female Al Bhed shouted as she crossed her arms. "I do _not _sound like that," she said with a pout, "You big meanie!"

"Calm down, Riks, I'm only joking," Gippal said in defense. "Now," he pointed to her face, "Suck that lip back in or you're not coming with us."

She clasped her hands together and grinned broadly. "Squee! I can't wait to see her!" she grabbed her cousin's hands "Come on, Yunie!" she said as she pulled her towards the exit.

Tidus laughed and shook his head. "She's so tiny, but she has so much strength," he remarked as he watched the perky Al Bhed forcibly drag Yuna out of the room. "It's so funny to watch."

He nodded. "I know, I see it all the time," he started for the door, "She's a tough kid, no doubt bout that." He motioned for Tidus to follow him, "Come on, let's get this done with."

888

The Praetor shifted uncomfortably in his chair. He sighed as he placed his head in his hands. He remained quiet for a few moments before he said, "Do you think we'll be able to actually handle this problem?"

"We've saved Spira before, I don't see why this time would be any different," the blonde blitzer stated in a matter of fact tone. When he got no response he glanced at the people in the room with him. "Right?"

"Well, Tidus, we are kind of pressed for time, and we really don't know what we're up against…" Yuna stated, not making eye contact with her husband.

"You don't think we can do it? Since when have we ever limited our abilities?" he asked as he watched his wife slowly raise her head to glance at him.

She ran a hand through her brown hair as she explained, "Tidus, we're limited with time. We don't know if these people are even experienced with fighting… and if they aren't, we really don't have time to train them." She locked her bi-colored eyes with his. "It's not that I don't think we can do it, the question is can we do it in time. I mean... the odds are kind of stacked against us…"

His mouth fell ajar as he gaped at his comrades. "I cannot believe what I'm hearing," he looked intently as his wife. "Especially after your pilgrimage. They didn't think the cycle could be broken, but we broke it. And yet, you don't think we can do this?" He stood abruptly and looked around at his friends, "I'm not going to let anything happen to Spira. It's my home and I'm going to protect it," he stated firmly before he turned his back to them as he headed towards the exit.

"Where ya going, Ti?" Gippal called after him.

"Back to the airship. I need some rest if I'm going to be angel hunting tonight," he informed them. He paused from his walking and looked over his shoulder. "Don't worry, B., nothing is going to happen if I can help it." With those words spoken he continued his exit.

After the door swung shut again, Paine spoke up. "He's has a point." Everyone turned and glanced at the silver haired woman who had remain silent throughout this whole thing. "We have to believe that we'll do this. Trust me, once the people get word of this, there will be plenty of discouragement to go around. Besides," she glanced at Yuna, "Do you plan on letting anything happen to Spira if you can prevent it." The former Summoner shook her head 'no.' The warrior turned her head towards Gippal, "And you?" He too shook his head. "Then why are we doubting ourselves? Baralai and I will take care of things in here since we can't exactly travel. We'll try to keep this under control as long as we can, but if there are fiends coming out of the temples…" she trailed off. She closed her crimson eyes and brought her hands up to rub the temples of her head. "Be safe, and good luck," she remarked as she opened her eyes. "You'll need it to pull this off."

"Yep! Paine's right!" the chipper Al Bhed proclaimed from behind them. She bounced over to the group, the young silver haired girl in her arms. "When did we become such a bunch of doubters?"

"We got older," Yuna stated. "We are more realistic about things."

"You mean pessimistic?" Rikku asked as she popped an eyebrow. "Just because we got older we lost our 'we can take on the world' attitude?" She shrugged her shoulders and she placed Meva on the ground. "Because if that's the case, I don't wanna grow up."

"Enough with the browbeating," Gippal said as he ran a hand through his hair. "Point made."

"We'll go out, we'll look for these so called angels and we won't give up until we find them," Yuna said slowly, her voice gaining confidence as she spoke. "We'll start tonight with that club in Luca."

"Great!" Rikku exclaimed as a cheeky grin spread across her features. "Now all that is left is…"

"Oh no," Gippal muttered under his breath as he buried his face in his hands.

Yuna looked curiously from Gippal to Rikku. Her cousin's emerald eyes shone with excitement as she said, "Shopping!" She grabbed Yuna's hand and started to pull her towards the door. The High Summoner started to protest, but Rikku merely shrugged her off and said, "Yunie, you can't go out in you're clothes."

The bi-color eyed brunette placed a hand on her hip as she said defensively, "What's wrong with my clothes?"

"New places, new clothes," she stated. Then without further reasoning she ushered her toward the door. She waved over her shoulder as they walked out.

"Well," Gippal started as he rose from his seat. "Dr. P., B., we'll be seeing you again."

"Hopefully, with good news," the Praetor said as he pulled his old Crimson Squad partner into an embrace. "We'll keep in touch."

The Al Bhed nodded. As he went to speak again, the roar of the HighWind's engine starting echoed through the room. His eyes went slightly wide before he took off running. "C'ya!" he called over his shoulder before he was gone from their sight.

888

"Rikku, can we stop? We've been at this for hours, and I have enough clothes to last me till the _end of the calm,"_ the High Summoner pleaded with the young Al Bhed.

"Come on, Yunie, one more store," she turned her head toward her cousin, giving her puppy dog eyes. "Pwease."

"Oh, Fine, one more, but that's it," the half Al Bhed stated firmly after giving into the request of her cousin.

Rikku immediately smiled and pulled her cousin along the street. "This," she started motioning to the store in front of them, "is the last store." Without letting Yuna say a word, the Al Bhed pulled her into the store.

Yuna's eyes widened as she glanced around the store. "Rikku…' she started as she planted her feet firmly on the ground. "This isn't a store, it's a mini city…"

The Al Bhed smiled sweetly as she dragged her cousin into the heart of the store. "You said one more. Now, let's get moving."

888

"I hope I don't end up poor by the end of the day," Tidus said as he and Gippal walked along the busy streets of Luca.

"She's with Rikku," the Al Bhed replied with a smirk. "You'll be more than poor, you'll be in all out poverty."

He groaned as he shoved his hands in his pockets. He gave Gippal a side-glance and watched as he smiled at the girls walking by. "I see you still have a wandering eye," he remarked as he gave him a stern look.

"I can look, but no touching," he said as he held his hands up defensively. "Besides, I'm not interested in these girls, just checking that the Gippal Charm still works." He shot Tidus a cocky grin before running a hand through his hair. The blitzer shook his head and laughed. "What is so funny?" the green-eyed blond asked.

"Nothing really…" he replied as he moved his gaze towards the other man. "Just, the other day I ran into a girl, whom I'm sure you would have been chasing… well if you were single and a few years younger…"

"Oh, you don't say. Well, my dear friend, do tell," he urged the blitzer.

"She was just really attractive, but like I said, she's a bit too young for you. She looked about nineteen," he informed him as they passed by a few more stores, looking for the girls.

"I'm not looking for a girlfriend, Ti, I have one already. I was just curious if you know what kind of women I'm into," the blond Al Bhed said as he continued to urge him on.

"Ones that have a chest…" the blue-eyed blond said with a smirk accompanied with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Funny…" he remarked sarcastically. "Now, are you gonna tell me or not?" Obliging to the request of the Al Bhed, Tidus described the young woman that had shown up on Besaid the other day. After listening intently to the description of the woman Gippal nodded slowly. "You were right, actually… that sounds just like one of my ex-girlfriends." He shrugged his shoulders. "So, what was her name?"

"Sonya," he replied as he the turned the corner of the street.

Gippal looked at him curiously before he said, "Well, that's odd. That's what her name was, but," he ran a hand through his hair. "It couldn't have been her. She was nineteen when I met her. Actually, she was a year older than me. So, she's your age now."

He shrugged his shoulders as he scanned the street. "Yea, well, she wasn't much of a talker and as Lulu said, she was 'more than rude.' And she left really early in the morning, so I couldn't tell you more about her even if I wanted to." He stopped talking when they came to stand before the largest store in all of Luca _Darby's Designers. _"How much you wanna bet they're in here?"

"A lot, now let's go stop them before they put us in so much debt our great, great, great grandkids will still be paying for it," the Al Bhed said before pushing open the doors to the store and stalking off in search of the perky Al Bhed. After scouring the store he spotted her, "Rikku Siclari, put down the expensive jeans and back away!"

She glanced back and forth between the jeans and her boyfriend. She did this several times before she pouted slightly and put them back on the rack. She glanced at her boyfriend again; a mischievous glint sparkled in her emerald eyes. "Gippie, do you and Ti have something to wear tonight?" the perky Al Bhed asked with a grin.

"Yes," he stated quickly. He wasn't actually sure if he had something back on the airship, but he knew the slightest hesitation would have meant hours more of shopping. "Come on, Riks, I think you've done enough damage for the rest of eternity." He gently grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards the door.

As they walked towards the exit, Rikku spotted something out of the corner of her eye. "Oh! What's that?" She inquired to no one in particular as she abruptly moved in the direction of the item of clothing. Since Gippal still had a hold on her wrist, when she moved she jerked him along with her, ultimately knocking him into a nearby man.

"Rikku!" Gippal shouted in aggravation as he straightened himself up. He turned his head to the left as he spoke, "Hey, I'm really sorry bout that. Are you ok…" he trailed off when he got a good look at the man he had bumped into.

The man stood at five feet and eleven inches, about two inches taller than the blonde Al Bhed male. He had dark brown hair. His green eyes glimmered with recognition and animosity. He crossed his toned armsas his mouth turned into a scowl. "Gippal," he stated in a condescending manner.

The Al Bhed narrowed his green eyes as he glared at the brunette. "Nick," he stated as his eyes ran over the man with scorn.

The two men stood staring each other down for a few minutes before Rikku came bounding back. She looked between the two men before she said lowly, "Gippie, who is this?" She bounced on the balls of her feet as she awaited his reply.

"Nick," he spoke with disgust. "We were in the Crimson Squad Pre-training together."

"Really?" She chirped. "I'm Rikku," she introduced herself as she held out her hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

The brunette took her hand in his own. He lowered his head and placed a gentle kiss on the top of her hand before saying, "The pleasure is all mine, I'm sure." He released her hand and winked at her as he stood back up.

"It would be," Gippal remarked bitterly. He took Rikku's hand in his own before he said, "Much as I'd love to stay and talk, we're leaving." Then without so much as a goodbye the Machine Faction leader turned and practically dragged the petite blonde out of the store after him.

"Gippal!" she shrieked as she smacked his arm. "How rude are you?" she continued to rant at the Al Bhed in Spiran. When she realized he wasn't affected by her words she grew more irate and slipped into Al Bhed as she continued her tirade.

He ignored her insults and comments as he stalked off towards the _HighWind._ The only thing he said to her was, "We'll talk about it once we're on the ship."

888

A few hours after the incident at _Darby's _the blonde blitzer had finished getting ready for the club and gone off in search for the leader of the Machine Faction . He walked down the metallic hallway of the _HighWind_. The only sound heard was the echoing of his footsteps as he stepped down the hall.

When he came to the end of the hall he stood in front of a door labeled _The Master's Bedroom._ He shook his head as he knocked on the door. A few minutes passed before a wet Al Bhed answered the door. He was wearing a pair of black pants and a quizzical expression as he said, "Yeah, Ti?"

"Rikku and Yuna have taken over my room," he explained with a roll of his eyes. "So I thought I'd come and stay with you for a while." He watched as the Al Bhed shrugged his shoulders and opened the door wider. "Thanks," he muttered as he stepped in.

Gippal turned from him and walked over to the bathroom. He grabbed a towel and started to dab his damp hair. He looked in the mirror to see the reflection of the blonde blitz player leaning on the frame of the door. "Let me guess… You want to talk about what happened in Darby's right?"

"Well, I wasn't going to ask," he said only to receive a skeptical look from the Al Bhed. "But, since you mention it… what was that? I mean the tension was so thick, if you weren't careful you could have choked on it."

He sighed heavily as he pulled a jade colored shirt over his head. "That was Nick," he started before turning his gaze towards the blue-eyed blitzer. "I had met him in the Crimson Squad Pre-Training. We had gotten kinda close, we became pretty good friends. Then, one night he told me his birthday was in March. Now," he paused and ran a hand through his hair before he said, "the cut off for the Crimson Squad had been February…"

Tidus gave Gippal a look of disappointment as he said, "You gave him up?"

Catching the look the Blitzer gave him he said defensively, "It's not something I'm proud of, but I was already at a disadvantage being Al Bhed and he was one of the best guys there. He was stealthy, precise and efficient. I know it was wrong, but I couldn't risk it."

"Well, that would explain his displeasure of seeing you again, but you had just as much animosity towards him as he had you," the Blitzer observed.

"Yeah," the Al Bhed practically growled. "Well after that happened he knew it had to have been me who told them- so…" His eyes flashed with anger as he reminisced back to that time. "He slept with my girlfriend."

The blitzer grimaced. "Ouch, talk about low blow…"

"Yeah, it gets better. Two weeks later I get a letter that says, _'Life's a whore, it screws around with everyone… and what a coincidence… so is your girlfriend.'_ Then there were some lovely images included with it." He shook his head as the memory flooded his mind, "Regardless, that's what happened… now are you happy?"

"Hey, Gip, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pull up those kinds of memories for you," the blitzer said as he placed a hand on the Al Bhed's shoulder.

He shrugged and sighed as he said, "Eh, its not big… the past is the past and that's all it is… a memory." He gave Tidus a half smile as he walked toward the door of his room. "Let's go get our ladies and move out."

The walked down the halls silently towards the room Yuna and Rikku were currently occupying. As Tidus reached out his hand for the doorknob, it pulled back away from his grasp as the door was opened from the other side. He looked forward to see a cheeky grin from the perky Al Bhed. "Heya, guys, we're ready." She stepped out into the hallway and spun around, "Don't we look beautiful?"

"And expensive," Gippal commented as he looked over the new outfit Rikku was sporting. "Nevertheless," he said as he extended his arm, "Let's get going."

Tidus mimicked the Al Bhed's actions with Yuna and they started off towards the exit of the _HighWind._ When they reached the elevator, Yuna stopped walking and felt her hip area where her pockets were. "Oh… I forgot my dress spheres…" She looked over to Rikku who had stopped walking. "Don't worry about me, I'll catch up, I just want to have them… just in case."

"Yunie, we can wait its no big deal," the Al Bhed said to her older cousin.

She shook her head. "No, Tidus and I will catch up." She turned around and took off down the hall, Tidus following closely behind her.

Rikku shrugged her shoulders as she turned to Gippal and said, "Well you heard her, let's go."

888

They entered the club, holding hands. Tidus' eyes darted around the people filled club. "I don't see Rikku and Gippal," he commented as his eyes scoped the sea of people.

Yuna half smiled as she looked at her husband and said, "They'll be around. This is their thing; they both like dancing. They'll be on the dance floor."

Tidus started to walk through the crowds of people, his eyes continuously scanning the room for anything unusual. Yuna followed him, maneuvering around the dancing couples. Then almost as if reading his mind the High Summoner questioned, "You think we'll find the angels here?"

"I hope so, this is the biggest club in Spira, the most people gather here, so… we should," he replied giving her hand a gentle squeeze. "Come on, over here." He tugged at her hand and pulled her in the direction of an empty table in the back. The brunette took a seat at the table. She scrunched her nose in disgust when she noticed the lack of up keepings for this specific table. Taking note of her condescending look, Tidus smirked, "Hey this is why the people dance and not sit around."

She nodded slowly, before taking a napkin and wiping down the table. "You won't even know if you find them. All we have to go by is 'Look for a contrast where there is great good the darkness will linger back sneering at the light.' That is a _bit_ vague."

He placed his hand under her chin and lifted her head. "Hey, we'll do this. Don't worry," he bent forward and caressed her lips with his own. "I'll get us some drinks." She nodded as he made his way over to the bar.

While he was gone, she sat with her hands folded in her lap, looking for anything peculiar in the crowd of people. _'The sooner we find them the better.' _As she was scouring the mess of people, she made a double take as she thought she saw the familiar form of Sonya, but when she went to look a second time she was lost in the crowd of people. _'Well, that's odd.'_

"Now, why, may I ask, is a beautiful lady like yourself sitting alone?"

Startled by the introduction of this new voice, she jumped slightly before turning her head in the direction the voice had come from. The stranger was seating himself in a chair across the table from her. He had dirty blonde hair that went well with his azure eyes and he wore a friendly smile as he waited for Yuna's response. She smiled sweetly as she said, "I'm here with my husband. He's getting us drinks."

He quirked an eyebrow as he said, "A young beauty like you is married?" She raised her left hand and moved her hair behind her ear before nodding. "Should have figured as much. The pretty ones are always taken." Yuna raised her hand to her mouth, to conceal a giggle. Her actions received a confused look and the response, "And what may I ask is so funny?"

"You just remind me of my friend Gippal, that's all," she responded after regaining her composure.

He nodded slowly. "Oh well… I'm Ryu." He extended his hand. She smiled as she took his hand and replied, "Yuna."

"Wait…" He took a closer look at her face, studying her features. "High Summoner Yuna?" She hesitantly smiled and nodded. "Wow, it's a pleasure to finally meet you, High Summoner." They sat in silence for a few moments before Ryu spoke up again. "I don't mean to be nosey, but… what exactly are you doing in a place like this? Not exactly High Summoner material."

"Well…" she shifted in her seat trying to come up with a reason for being there. She couldn't just voice that she was in search of two mystical beings, one of pure evil, one of pure good. Not being able to come up with a legitimate response, she merely shrugged her shoulders and said, "Even High Summoners need to get out some times."

At this time, Tidus decided to make his reappearance. He walked over to the table that was currently occupied by Yuna and Ryu. He placed the drink in front of Yuna before kissing her on the cheek. "Miss me?"

She tilted her head in his direction and with an impish grin she replied, "Not really. I had good company." She gestured to Ryu. Tidus looked questioningly at the dirty blonde haired boy. "Tidus, this is Ryu. Ryu, this is my husband, Tidus."

Ryu stood and held out his hand. "It's nice to meet you."

Tidus hesitantly took his hand and shook it, "A pleasure… I'm sure." They stood there for a few minutes, an awkward silence growing. Tidus shifted his attention towards the crowd. As he took in the people he blinked twice and rubbed his eyes. _'Is that Sonya?'_ But before he could be sure, she disappeared once more into the crowd.

Ryu watched him with an astonished expression on his face. _'This guy is married to a beautiful woman and here he is checking out the girls, with her right next to him no less.' _He glanced at Yuna who didn't seem to be phased by Tidus' behavior. _'Well this is a little odd. Maybe they're looking for a little 'adventure' in their love life._ He glanced at Yuna with a grin before his eyes came to rest on Tidus, which caused him to shudder. _'Well, I don't want to know, nor be a part of it._'

He shook those thoughts from his head as he plastered a smile on his face. "Well," he started, getting the attention of the couple. "It was a pleasure meeting you both, and until next our paths meet, I bid you-" But before he could finish his sentence an explosion rocked the building.

Yuna stood abruptly from her seat. "Ti, do you think they're here?"

He didn't get the chance to response, because another blast blew a crater-sized hole in the wall to their left. By this time, a full set panic had hit the people of the club. The people were all screaming and running. The entire place was in total chaos. Tidus grabbed Yuna's hand and pulled her in, against the rush of people trying to escape. "We have to help!"

888

In the center of the chaos stood two people. They stood about 7 feet apart and were staring at each other so fiercely that not even the frightened screams from the people could break their gaze.

"You missed," the brunette boy said as he stole a glance at the wall behind him and smirked. The raven-haired girl growled at her adversary causing him to smile all the more. "You know, Sonya, last century that growl may have actually frightened me, but now… you've been lacking in the fear department." Her faced relaxed and she laughed. Surprising him, he raised an eyebrow and said, "Though, I will admit, this is making me uneasy."

"Hm, well, I guess this is a good a time as any to show you my new… toys." She grinned as the brunette's eyes widened slightly. "Well, as you know, after Sin was destroyed, there was this lingering dark, evil aura left behind. Well, I spent some time there and customized my own little weapons." She pulled out twin pistols. They both had silver barrels and black handles. At the end of the handles was a set of crimson colored wings. "I call them 'Twins of Turmoil.' They don't hold the same amount of power as Oblivion Rapier, but these are a bit more accurate and they get the job done." She fired a warning shot past him to the remains of the wall, ultimately obliterating it. "So, run, Maximus…" She smirked as she cocked the gun in his direction and finished, "Run." Without further hesitation, he took off running. She laughed coldly as she rapidly fired the pistols in his direction. _'I'm playing for keeps.'_

He jumped into the air as a bullet hit the ground near him. _'If she wasn't dangerous enough before…'_ The bullet broke up the floor sending pieces of debris flying everywhere. He continued running as he watched the people rush the exit of the club. _'I have to get her away from these people before someone gets seriously hurt.'_

She shifted her left hand and deliberately shot the ground in front of him. With no time to react to this, the explosion sent him sprawling to the floor. She sauntered over to him, her hips swaying back and forth as she walked. She placed a foot on his chest. "You know, I'm getting a little bit tired of you messing in my affairs." She pointed the gun and aimed for his head, "However, that ends now…" She placed her hands on the trigger and began to apply pressure to it.

Maximus closed his eyes tightly as he heard a gunshot ring out. "Son of a Bitch!" was what he heard get screamed out before something remotely heavy dropped onto his chest. Confused, when the pressure from Sonya's boot disappeared, he opened his eyes to see Sonya wiping her bloodied hand on her pants. _'What in the name of Dios?' _Maximus followed Sonya's gaze and his eyes fell upon the former Summoner who was currently wielding a pair of matching guns. Without thinking twice, Maximus jumped to his feet and rushed at the Summoner.

The raven-haired woman's eyes narrowed to slits as she lifted her gun, "You little bitch, I'll kill you for that!" Sonya glared once more at Yuna before pulling the trigger of her own gun. However, the shot was diverted and ended up shooting a huge hole in the club's ceiling. She cursed at the reason for her misaim. Tidus had come from her left tackling her to the ground. "What are you doing?" she hissed.

"Are you crazy?" Tidus shouted as he pinned her armed hand above her head. "Do you want people to get killed!" he yelled out as he vainly tried to wrestle the gun out of her hand.

"Honestly?" she asked with a hint of malice. "Yes, I do." With her free hand, she placed it on his chest and literally flipped him off of her, slamming him into the nearby wall.

He hit the wall with such force his body made an impression in it. Slowly he slid down the wall, hitting the ground with a thud. "That… was … painful…" he muttered to himself as he painfully got to his feet.

Yuna quickly ran over to his side. She immediately started casting curative magic over him. "Tidus, I think we're in a little over our head. We don't even know if these two are the people we're looking for."

He shook his head, his blond hair falling precariously over his eyes. "We have to do this," he ran a hand through his hair, "I have to do this. I said I wouldn't let anything happen to Spira." With those words spoken, he took off after Sonya and Maximus. He finally spotted them by the emergency stair well. He watched as the brunette shoved the door open, sprinting through and as Sonya followed closely behind. "She sure can run fast for someone in those kind of heels," he muttered to himself as he neared the door he had seen them run through.

Sprinting, Tidus finally came to the stair well and he pushed open the door. What he saw astounded him. Sonya was a flight behind Maximus, but not for long. She crouched down and pushed off the ground, jumping up. She twisted her body, flipping over the railing and landing in front of him. "Wow…" was all he could muster as he started up the stairs.

Just as he reached the top of the flight, darkness took over the stairwell before a body came flying down the stairs, slamming into the wall. Tidus was forced to blink a few times to adjust to the relighting of the stairwell. When he did, he saw the brunette Sonya had been in pursuit of. He lifted his head, narrowing his silver eyes. "Alright, I'll play your game, Sonya," he said as he brought his hand up.

Before Tidus could ask him if he was alright, a bright beam shot out of his hand, hitting the crazed dark haired girl square in the chest, catapulting her into the wall behind her. Tidus glanced between the two, unsure of how to react. He stood there, shock clearly shown on his face.

Of the two of them, Maximus rose to his feet first. He rubbed the temples of his head before continuing up the stairs. He paused momentarily over Sonya, who seemed to be completely knocked out. He shrugged and continued up the last flight of stairs. Tidus walked halfway up the flight of stairs when Sonya 'awoke.' Her eyes shot open. They gleamed with rage and a hint of vengeance. She stood abruptly and snapped her fingers, disappearing into thin air.

Tidus ran up the remaining stairs and stood where Sonya had previously been. _'This just gets weirder and weirder.'_ As he was standing there, he heard a considerably loud _'Crunch' _followed by a cry of pain and the statement, "Damn it, Sonya! That was my nose!"

"Yea, too bad," she shouted as she lifted her leg to kick him in the stomach. As the blow was about to make contact, he caught her foot.

He smirked at her as he said, "Have a nice flight." As those words were muttered, he spun her round, and flung her down the stairs at the wall. She was rapidly approaching the wall… headfirst. Tidus didn't want to watch, knowing the impact would most likely be nearly fatal, but it was like a hover accident and he couldn't help but stare.

As she got closer to the wall, she rolled her eyes before twisting her body so that she would hit the wall with her feet. She hit the wall in a crouched position. When she made impact she didn't flinch, or bat an eye. Then, much to Tidus' surprise, she didn't fall to the floor either. Instead, she pushed off the wall and at a speed no normal person could travel she flew at Maximus. When their bodies made contact, he fell into the exit door hitting the handle, ultimately opening it. In a jumbled ball they rolled out the exit door and on to the roof.

"That is definitely not normal…" Tidus voiced to himself as he ran up the last flight of stairs. Once he reached the outside, Maximus was standing on the ledge of the building and Sonya was five feet away from him, holding her guns up, ready to shoot him into oblivion. "Sonya, stop!" The blonde yelled out causing a distraction to Sonya.

She jerked her head in his direction and glared at him before turning back to where Maximus had been. "That son of a…" she muttered as she ran over to the ledge. "Damn it!" she yelled out before she shot randomly into the darkness a few times.

By this time, Yuna had caught up with them. She walked quietly over to Tidus. She gently placed a hand on his arm. "Did she…?"

He shook his head 'no.' "He jumped off…" He took a few steps forward before saying "Sonya, can I ask you something?"

She kept her back to him and threw her guns down to the floor. She gritted her teeth, as she growled, "No, you can't."

"I have to know something about you," he persisted.

"Boy, you don't know whom you are interfering with," she said as she turned her attention to him. She circled around him, her long black hair blowing in the wind. She gripped her blade in her hand. It was four feet long and the majority of it was a dark ebony color. The only part that wasn't black was the sharp blade part. That was a crimson red. It looked as if she had just used it to annihilate someone and didn't have time to clean the blood off of it. "Have you ever wondered what it's like to be burned from the inside out… to have your soul set ablaze?" She smirked to herself before she began to twirl her blade in an intricate pattern.

"You aren't listening to me, plea-"

"Tidus, let's get out of here!" Yuna pleaded as she tried to pull him away from the angered woman.

He turned to face her, his blond hair blowing over his eyes. "Yuna, we need to do this. I'm not going to run! I have to know!"

"Well, question and answer time is over," the woman smirked again as she stopped the blade in a vertical position. The blade was pulsing with a dark aura, sending chills down Tidus' spine. "And now, it's time to die…" she smiled sweetly before she shouted out "HELL'S DAMNATION." Thus, sending a huge wave of dark energy hurtling straight for the blonde.

888

A/N: WHAHAHAHAHAHA A CLIFF HANGER! Yes! –grins and dodges the object hurdled at head- Whoa! Ha reflexes got better too! –slips on grape- owwww –rubs head- Okies, well now I'm going to be mean and spiteful, I want to see lots of reviews, or I'm leaving this as a cliffhanger –grins sadistically- Okies, well Enjoy! Tooodles! –waves and walks off-


	4. 7,000 Years of Bad Luck

A/N: Ok, first and foremost I want to wish everyone a Happy New Year! Now, I would like to apologize for the long wait, but as you all know with the holidays things get hectic and I completely lost track of time. Next I would like to apologize because this chapter isn't as long as the others. It's actually on the short side, but I wanted to update and I figured this would be the best place to end the chapter. Now, I want to THANK all my wonderful reviewers, who will get their personal answers soon enough. Okies, well enough of my ramblings onto the story!

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing… seriously… like nothing… not even this –holds up piece of lint that says 'property of the US Gov't- See?

888

**7,000 years of Bad Luck**

As the dark energy made its course right for the blond the winds began to drastically pick up, which was a lucky thing for the blitzer and his wife. They were so strong they ended up knocking them to the floor, out of harms way. The winds also happened to knock the crazed raven-haired girl off of the roof.

Tidus looked around; bewilderment evident on his features. He looked over himself to make sure he wasn't dead, and then he looked at Yuna who mirrored his expression. "What… the hell… was that?" He stuttered.

"A simple 'Thank You' would suffice," a voice called out from the right of them.

Tidus turned the upper portion of his body around to see the owner of the voice. "Ryu?" he asked in disbelief. "You… did that?" The dirty blond simply smiled and nodded. "How?" the blitzer inquired, his mind having difficulty processing all that just occurred.

"I've been able to control the element of wind pretty much my whole life," he explained as he took a few steps toward the couple. He offered his hand to the blitzer. Tidus accepted his hand and Ryu helped him off of the ground before he helped the High Summoner to her feet as well. "You're alright… right?"

The blitzer nodded his head. "Yeah, we're fine." He wiped his right hand on the leg of his pants before extending it to the dirty blond haired man. "Well… Thank you."

He took his hand and shook it with a smile. "It was no big deal. I've always felt a need to protect others." He shrugged his shoulders, "I just happened to be in the right place at the right time."

"Well, isn't this is 'Please excuse me while I go throw up' sweet?" The trio slowly turned their heads in the direction from which the voice was coming. "Too bad it all ends now." Their eyes widened in horror as they layed upon Sonya.

"Holy shit…" Ryu muttered as he stared in horror. Sonya hadn't been killed by the fall. Quite the contrary, there she was… floating in the air. There were black feathery wings protruding from her back, approximately spanning 10 feet. She held out her left hand and the trio watched in a horrified stupor as the sword she had used before materialized in the palm of her hand.

"Now, is your time to die," her voice boomed before she swooped down. She headed straight for the dirty blond haired boy that had blown her off the roof. Paralyzed by fear and confusion, no one moved. She swung her arm back and was ready to decapitate the new comer. Just as she was in close proximity of the blue-eyed man, a bright white light flooded the area. She immediately pulled back, shielding her eyes. She hissed loudly as she crouched down on the ground.

When the light cleared Maximus was standing in front of the trio, his long silver blade drawn. He too had a set of wings protruding from his back. The only difference was the length and color. His wings appeared to span about 12 feet in length and were white in color. "Leave them be, Sonya."

She narrowed her emerald eyes, glaring daggers at the man before her. "Mind yours, Dear Maximus," she hissed as she stood.

"It's not them you wish to fight," he said as he gripped his blade tightly, "It's me. Leave them alone." He stared down at the raven-haired girl waiting for her to react.

"I would have, had they not interfered…" She gripped the handle of her sword. "I will not tolerate such insolence," she growled as she locked eyes with the brunette. She walked forward, not breaking her gaze with him. "You should know that by now, Maximus."

"7,564 years old and you would think by now your maturity would have expanded," he mocked her as she grew closer to him. His wrist twitched slightly as he watched her. His eyes watched her every move, to be sure she didn't surprise him with any move 'toys.'

Ryu's mouth dropped open as he glanced towards Tidus who had a similar expression on his face, "Seven _thousand_? She doesn't look a day over nineteen!"

Ignoring the comments from the side Sonya emitted a low growl as she spoke, "7,564 years old and still a virgin." She twirled her sword intimidatingly, "You'd think that in seven thousand years that we've been here, _someone_ would have liked you."

"You know why I'm a virgin, Sonya," he snapped. "At least I'm not a sl-" but before he could finish his statement, she flew at him. She swung her sword at his head, but he managed to bring his sword up in time to defend himself. His knees buckled slightly from the pressure she applied to her blade. He nodded approvingly, "I must say, you've gotten stronger since last time." He raised an eyebrow and smirked, "Have you been taking steroids?"

"Funny," she hissed. She glared at him again. In one swift motion, she pulled her leg back and swung her boot-covered foot right into his abdomen. He bent over forward, dropping his blade to the ground. She pulled back a bit before sending another blow to his head. Ryu, Tidus and Yuna watched in dismay as their only hope crashed to the floor. "This is over Maximus," she said as she landed next to him. She raised her right hand that was armed with the blade. She positioned right over his chest cavity as she muttered, "Good Bye." She brought her sword downward aiming it straight for his heart.

"Holy!"

A bright light surrounded Sonya causing her to hiss and drop her sword to the floor. She screamed out as seven white beams of pure Holy Magic shot into her. She dropped down onto one knee, her eyes closed tightly. _'They just don't know when to stop... do they?' _Yuna, breathing slightly heavy, took a few steps back behind Tidus. He in turn stood protectively in front of her with his brotherhood drawn. "Do you have some kind of death wish?" Sonya snapped as she stood from the ground. A dark aura surrounded her body, slowly closing her wounds. She jerked her head in their direction, her emerald eyes burning with contempt. "Because… if that's the case, consider it granted." She brought her hands together over her head as she closed her eyes and began to mutter an incantation under her breath.

By this time, Maximus had recovered and hastily made his way towards the trio. "You must make haste. Get out here immediately," He instructed ushering the three people over towards the edge of the building.

Tidus shook his head, his blond hair falling over his eyes. This action received a look of bewilderment from the three people near him. "I have to know something," he exclaimed in need of clarification.

"You do have a death wish," the brunette said with a smirk. "Regardless, we don't have time for questions." He glanced over his shoulder towards the raven-haired girl. At this time she had black and indigo flames dancing around her. "If you want to get caught in the maelstrom of pain then by all means stay here, however," He grabbed Yuna around the waist and jumped off the side of the building. The High Summoner let out a yelp as they made their descent.

"Yuna!" Tidus yelled as he watched the stranger fall through the air into the poorly lit alleyway below. His blue eyes were wide with fear, until he saw the white wings peak through from his back, assisting him in the soft landing.

"Uhm… we should jump," Ryu said as he stood at the edge of the building's roof next to the blitzer. Tidus turned his head in the direction of the dirty blond and looked at him incredulously. However, before he could say anything, Ryu shoved him off the top of the building. The blitzer let out a yell as he awkwardly fell towards the ground.

The two blue-eyed men were rapidly approaching the ground, in what would be an extremely painful landing. However, as they came closer to the ground, the winds picked up once more. The strong gust seemed to blow in an upward motion, drastically slowing the descent of the two men. Ryu gracefully landed on his feet, unlike Tidus who landed on his butt besides him. Without further hesitation, Maximus strolled over to the blond, and pulled him off the ground. "Now… Run!"

Instinctively, the trio took off down the alley towards the main street. They managed to reach the street without a minute to spare because the second they stepped foot on the black pavement, the club burst into huge black and indigo flames.

"Talk about overkill…" Ryu muttered as the club imploded, crashing to the ground. The smell of burnt wood and metal permeated through the air, as the embers from Sonya's attack continued to burn the remains of the club. "I think… this was a sign… dancing is not my thing," he continued with a hint of levity trying to somewhat lighten the mood.

Ignoring Ryu, Tidus walked over towards Maximus. "I want to ask you something." When it appeared as if the brunette was going to ignore him, Tidus grabbed his shoulder and spun him around. His eyes were burning with determination. "Listen you," he said forcefully, "I almost died trying to find you, you _are _going to answer my damned questions whether you like it or not."

The winged man turned his attention to the blitzer; his facial expression read impatience as he retracted his wings. "Alright, you have my attention."

Ryu turned towards the High Summoner and asked quietly, "Is this a wise to do this now?"

The gun-wielding Summoner nodded her head, "He needs to do this. Though… this isn't really the circumstances we had hoped for…" Ryu dropped the subject and turned his attention back towards the blond.

The blitzer let his hands drop to his sides before he started, "You are the angel of light, correct?" He raised an eyebrow as he waited for the response.

"No," the silver-eyed man said gravely, "I'm the Easter Bunny."

Tidus rolled his eyes before saying, "And… Sonya, she is the Angel of Darkness. Right?"

"Nope," he replied as a condescending smirk crossed his features. "She's the tooth fairy."

"_Damn it_! Will you be _serious_?" The blitzer yelled at the angel. "I almost freakin' _died_ looking for you, can you at least have the decency to take me seriously?" The angel didn't say anything; he merely crossed his arms and looked sternly at the blitzer. Tidus sighed to himself before continuing. "I have to tell you something important and I need your help, so listen carefully…"

However, before Tidus could explain that Spira is on the brink of destruction a scream echoed through the night sky, "Maximus!"

Yuna jumped slightly, her hand automatically grasping onto the upper arm of Ryu. He in turn jerked his head upwards to the sky, looking around for the owner of the voice. Tidus stopped speaking and looked at Maximus, waiting for him to reply to the crazed calling. He, however, remained silent.

The lack of a response seemed to have angered the crazed owner, because a few gunshots rang out before she spoke again. "Damn it! Answer me when I speak to you, you pathetic excuse for an all powerful being!" Maximus rolled his eyes with a bored expression on his features. When he didn't respond again Sonya screamed, "I know you're here, I can still feel you. Now you may want to show yourself before I kill every freakin' wretched human in Luca!"

It looked as if the white winged angel was hesitating, but he decided against it. He sighed before expanded the wings once more from their confines. He turned his eyes towards the blitzer who was still watching him carefully. "Listen… if you find me again. I swear to Dios I'll answer anything you ask me." With those words uttered he took a running start before taking to the air in search of his advisory.

Tidus turned and watched the angel fly into the air away from them. He growled to himself, frustrated that he was so close to getting the help he needed and now… he was gone. Yuna slowly approached her husband. "Tidus?" He didn't answer, instead, he clenched his fist into balls and gritted his teeth. "At least we know who they are…" she said in an attempt to make him feel better. "That was half the battle… right?"

He sighed heavily and let his head hang as he mumbled, "Yeah, I guess. Just…" he paused thinking about his next statement. He was quiet a few minutes before he shook his head and muttered, "Never mind." He turned his gaze over to Ryu who was standing quietly over to the side. "Hey…" he said gaining the attention of the dirty blond. "Do you need a ride anywhere? We have an airship…"

He shook his head, still slightly shocked about all that was going on. "I'm heading over to the Mi'ihen…I work at the travel agency. I can walk." He ran a hand through his hair before continuing, "Thanks anyway…" He turned his back to them and started walking down the street.

Yuna looked at Tidus who had a distant look on his face. She called out to the dirty blond. "Ryu, wait!" He stopped walking and slowly turned his head, glancing over his shoulder towards the High Summoner. She briskly walked towards him, "Listen… its dark, there is a crazed maniac out here… I'd feel better if you let us drop you off somewhere. You saved our lives, the least we can do is room you for a few hours so we can drop you off somewhere remotely … safe?" He was hesitant over accepting her offer, but Yuna was persistent. "I insist, we have an extra room, and we'll drop you off first thing in the morning. Just think of it as a repayment for helping us."

He pondered over the offer a few moments before finally accepting. "Fine, but bright and early I insist I make my leave. Don't want to be a burden on the High Summoner."

888

Down a few blocks from where the trio was, Sonya and Maximus could be found. Currently, the dark haired woman was straddling him with her left hand to his throat and her right hand armed with a gun pointed to his head. "You really have to stop messing with my…" She stopped mid-sentence and looked around in confusion as a blue light surrounded them. "Oh… Fu-"

They closed their eyes tightly, as the light engulfed them. When the light dissipated, they found themselves in a comfortable looking powder blue room. The two angels groaned loudly as they lifted themselves off the ground. Maximus looked down at Sonya, who was now wearing an all white pants suit and smirked. "He did always have a strange sense of humor."

Sonya nodded slowly as she took his all black, tight, not to mention demonic looking outfit Maximus was wearing. "You do know what this means…" She remarked bitterly as she lifted her head to make eye contact, "Right?"

"We're in a shit load of trouble?" He proposed, only to gain a slight nod from the other angel. He crossed his arms as he looked around, "We haven't been in this room in a long time…"

"Well, we haven't been in trouble in a long time," she said as she dropped down onto one of the chairs, comprised entirely of black leather. "Well, more like, he hasn't been able to get us here together to yell at us for causing trouble…" she continued with a smirk. "Or keep us here for that matter…"

Maximus shook his head as he said, "No kidding, last time you took out Miguel and fled." He sat himself down on a white satin couch. "Hear you got an earful for that little stunt…"

She gave a small shrug of her shoulders. "Dios wasn't thrilled I took out his best messenger," she said in a monotone voice, not giving off any inclination that she had any remorse for what she had done.

As if on queue, a man dressed in a pair of black slacks and a white button up shirt walked into the room. His blond hair was pushed back away from his face, exposing a facial expression that was enough to scare any normal being into a state of shock. However, to Sonya, whom he was glowering at, it didn't have the slightest effect. Instead she mustered up the sweetest smile she could as she beamed, "Miguel! We were just discussing you." Her eyes sparkled deviously as she asked, "How's your shoulder?"

He involuntarily rubbed his left shoulder as he snidely remarked, "Fine, no thanks to you." He continued to glare at the dark haired girl.

"Well, gee, it's nice to see you too," she remarked with a mock hurt in her words.

"It does not please me to speak with you anymore than it pleases you to be here," he said, his tone growing unfriendly as he continued to speak.

"Don't be absurd, Miguel, I do enjoy seeing Dios, just not…" she glanced at her counter part before shrugging, "under these circumstances…"

He shook his head as he informed them, "You won't be seeing Dios."

"What?" Both angels cried out simultaneously. Sonya leapt from her seat and started for the messenger. "Why the hell not?" she spat.

Maximus grabbed her wrist, preventing her from getting into hitting range of the blond. "If you kill the messenger, we won't get our information." She glared fiercely at Miguel, but remained silent so that he could speak.

"In the words of Dios," he coughed, clearing his throat. His eyes glazed over slightly as he started to speak, "_Are you two out of your mind?" _His voice boomed so loudly that Maximus had to release Sonya's arm so that he could protect his ears from the deafening volume of Dios' tirade via Miguel. Sonya, on the other hand, didn't even flinch. Over the years she had grown accustomed to the loud shouts of Dios, so this was nothing she couldn't bear. "How could you two publicly cause such a ruckus? Just because you two have the power to destroy everything, doesn't mean you should exercise that power."

Sonya scowled as she crossed her arms and looked at the ground. Maximus scratched the back of his head as he too looked away from Miguel.

"You, _both,_" he emphasized as he glanced at Maximus, "put many lives in danger. I don't know how much more irresponsible you two can be. You are how old, and you act like you are two." He paused momentarily, when he began to speak again, his voice was soft and calm. "I have something I need to discuss with you two, so I request that you remain here until I am able to come myself…"

Sonya scoffed loudly, "Ha! I think not!" She shook her head with an amused grin across her features. She pushed past the messenger and went to make her exit. However, as she went to do this, Miguel's arm shot out and grabbed the back of her shirt. She abruptly stopped walking and glared at the blond. "Miguel, do you recall what happened last time you tried to impede my exodus?"

"Sonya, I am under strict orders to specifically not allow you to leave," he said his voice unwavering. She raised an eyebrow in his direction. Though his voice didn't give off a sense of fear, his eyes told the truth.

She smirked as she remarked, "You've learn to modulate your voice when addressing me. Bravo, dearest Miguel. However," She swiftly jabbed her right elbow into the lower back of the blond, "I'm still not" she kicked his feet out from under him, knocking him to the ground, "Intimidated." Using her foot, she pressed his face into the ground. "Better luck next time," she hissed as she stepped on his head and walked out.

888

"Yunie!" the perky Al Bhed called out as she glomped her cousin, planting kisses on her head. "We were so worried about you two!" She ran over to Tidus and repeated the same actions. "We knew you were going to try to help the people, but when the club was empty and we didn't see you two, we got worried." She pulled back from Tidus and ran over to the dirty blond that was accompanying them. She looked at him momentarily before hugging him tightly too and saying, "I don't know you, but I'm happy your ok too."

Yuna laughed softly at her cousin's antics. "Rikku, that's Ryu. He saved Tidus and my life."

"Really?" She looked at the new comer with curious eyes.

"I was in the right place at the right time, no big deal…" he modestly remarked with a small smile.

"Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!" she squealed at she wrapped her arms around his neck again and planted a few kisses on his cheek.

By this time, the dirty blonde's face was scarlet and a slightly embarrassed grin crossed his features. He scratched the back of his head and let out an uneasy laugh as he said, "Not a big deal…"

The Machine Faction leader quirked an eyebrow before he said, "Not a big deal? You saved Spira's Savior and her husband, pretty big deal if you ask me."

Yuna nodded her head in agreement, "Which is why we're going to allow him to spend the night in the airship, and we're going to drop him off tomorrow morning," she looked at him momentarily her eyes filled with thought. "The Mi'ihen, correct?" The dirty blond merely nodded his answer. "Alright," the high Summoner started, "Let's get him settled in."

"Heya, Yunie…?" the perky Al Bhed said somewhat low to gain the attention of the brunette. When Yuna turned her head to glance at the the blond, Rikku spoke up again, "Did you…?" she trailed off letting the half asked question linger in the air.

The bi-colored eyed girl nodded, but quickly added, "We'll talk about it later." The green-eyed girl grinned and nodded her head, causing a few blond tresses to fall over her face.

888

"Maximus," a cheerful, kind voice called out from a distance. The winged man smiled to himself as a tall burly man appeared before him. He had the same colored eyes as Maximus and the same color hair as Sonya. He had a friendly smile on his face as he embraced the brunette. After they broke apart he looked around the room. He let an exasperated sigh escape his lips before he said, "She left?"

Maximus nodded slowly. He went to further his explanation, but Miguel beat him to it. "Of course she did. Does she ever wait? And she couldn't leave without knocking me down and causing me harm once _again._" He narrowed his eyes before continuing, "Next time she does something like this, I'm not going to go easy on her…" He trailed off when he noticed the amused looks on the faces of the other men. "And what, may I ask, is so funny?"

"Miguel, take it from me, a person with a _close relationship _to her. Sonya is not someone you want to challenge. Not to mention, you wouldn't stand a chance against her," the brunette told him. "You're Dios' messenger, not his fighter. Sonya wouldn't hesitate to kill you, so…" He leaned in closer to the blond messenger, placing an arm around his shoulder. "Don't give her a reason to do that. She hasn't done much because Dios told her not to, but… don't provoke her- she's not as patient as I, actually, she's not patient at all…"

The raven-haired man smirked as he nodded his head in agreement. "Miguel, you are my best and most trusted messenger, and I would hope the wisest. However, Sonya is not someone you would wish to 'tango' with." He shook his head, amusement still evident in his eyes. "Though, I do wish she would be more willing to comply with my requests than she is."

Maximus gave a slight shrug of his shoulder before inquiring, "What's wrong, Dios?" The raven-haired man looked at him a smile still gracing his features as if to say _'what are you talking about?'_ The brunette looked at him skeptically before saying, "You rarely request that we stay, unless we're in major trouble, but if that were the case you wouldn't have sent Miguel, or if there is disarray in Spira."

Dios shook his head, black hair precariously falling over his eyes. "Is that why you stayed?"

"And why Sonya hightailed it out of here? Yes, it is," the brunette informed him. "Last time you asked us to stay we ended up leveling the city of Budapest, or do you not recall the near destruction of Spira?"

"Yes, Maximus, I do recall," he spoke softly. Although he continued to smile, his eyes shone with a hint of sorrow and worry. "And, you're right. We have another problem…"

888

"So, you want Sonya and me to go to all the temples and set up barriers in the chamber of the Fayth?" the brunette inquired with a popped eyebrow. He had listened to Dios' story and it was exactly what he'd suspected, well to some degree anyway. He would never have guessed it was his predecessor, along with the man Sonya had succeeded, that was responsible for the problems in Spira.

He nodded and added in, "That not all. I'm going to have to ask you to help the people of Spira…"

The silver eyes of Maximus shown with confusion as he said, "I do what I can to help everyday," he shook his head and gave a slight roll of his eyes as he added in, "They're a very primitive species…"

"Not quite what I was getting at. Nonetheless, I guess it isn't such a bad thing that Sonya isn't here because she isn't going to like to here what I have to say…" He watched as Maximus' expression went from confused to concerned. "There is only one way to make the seal permanent and to do that, you'll need the assistance of the heirs."

"You weren't kidding when you said we weren't going to like this," Maximus said with a groan. "And let me guess, I'm the lucky guy who get to tell Sonya?"

888

The sunlight was creeping in through the window of the room the dirty blond was occupying. A groan escaped his lips as he twisted again in his sleep for the millionth time that night. His face contorted as if he were in some sort of pain. Just as he seemed to relax, his upper body jolted into a sitting position. He looked around the room frantically. His breathing was heavy and he was covered in sweat. "It was just a dream, Ryu… just a dream," he muttered to himself in an attempt to calm down. His body shuddered involuntarily as images of fire and death flashed through his head. He shook his head as he mumbled, "That wasn't a dream that was a horrific nightmare…"

He tossed the covers off him before he got up off the bed and gathered his belongings. _'All I need is a hot shower to calm myself.' _He mosied out into the hall and to the bathroom Tidus had shown him the previous night.

While Ryu was showering, Gippal had started the _'HighWind' _and prepared the fly the short distance to Rin's Travel Agency. By the time they reached the inn, the dirty blond was showered, dressed and ready to go. Ryu was on the bridge with the two blond Al Bhed when he said, "I really appreciate this." He paused as Gippal landed the airhship outside the agency. "It wasn't necessary."

"Don't be silly," Rikku chimed in. "You saved Yunie and Tidus, we let you sleep on our airship and gave you a ride. It was nothing." Rikku looked at the dirty blond, he began to dispute with her, but the perky female Al Bhed cut him off. She firmly placed her hands on her hips before she said, "Lister, mister, _you saved my cousin,_ this is the _least_ we can do for you."

"Alright, alright," the dirty blond held up his hands defensively. "I get it, thank you anyway."

"It's no problem," Gippal commented as they exited the airship. "I needed to see Rin about a machina order he placed."

As they stepped foot on the ground, Ryu started to lag behind the two Al Bhed. "Hey," he called out to the other too. "I want to say thanks to Yuna and Tidus, so I'm going to wait here for them." He paused. "The minute I step foot into the agency, I'll be up to my neck in work," he further explained to the couple. The two blondes nodded their heads before walking towards the Travel Agency.

888

A raven-haired girl uncrossed her legs before she stood from the chair she'd been resting in. She disposed of the remains of her breakfast before she started towards the door. Before she left, she nodded her head towards the owner of the establishment. "Dryhg oui jano silr. Guut Tyo du oui, Rin." (Thank you very much. Good day to you, Rin)

He smiled back and replied, "Oui yna famlusa. Lusa ykyeh, Sonya." (You are welcome. Come again, Sonya.) Once again she nodded before she walked out the front door that was being held open by a tall blond man with an eye patch.

888

A/N: Well there you have it folks, another rendition of Elemental War. And another cliff-hanger.

-half readers go 'huh?'-

heh, reread if ya didn't catch that. –smiles- Anyway, I apologize for the wait, because I did get a lot of reviews! I love you all, and I hope you all continue to enjoy my writing because I love writing for you people! Okies, well til next time; Live, love, and review my stories! Toooodles!


	5. Winter in Hell

A/N: Well I must say that I am so unbelievably thankful for all my reviewers and you guys rock! I am right smack in the middle of midterm season, so of course I would be able to update, Procrastination Rocks!

**ATTENTION: **I have taken part in a collaboratively writing fiction, it's called Broken Alliance. Since it's a collaborative thing, written by a total of five authors we made up a different name, Crazed Unit. The story is under my favorites and I really recommend it, it really is well written.

**Dedication: **This chapter is officially dedicated to one of my bestest friends in the entire world. Ryan's birthday is tomorrow, so I have dedicated this chapter to him (Quite appropriately too)  
**SO HAPPY BIRTHDAY RYAN!**

**Diclaimer: **Uhm, the only thing I own are my OCs, so yeah.. )

-----xXx-----

**Winter in Hell**

Not paying much attention to the girl that walked through the door, Gippal sarcastically called after her, "You're welcome," when he noticed she didn't bother to mutter a thank you for holding the door open for her.

She in turn waved her hand over her shoulder and said, "Vilg Oui."

Rikku bit her lower lip to keep her from laughing as she glanced at her boyfriend who looked appalled by the girl's statement. The blond girl laughed softly to herself before patting Gippal on the shoulder and saying, "Come on, Gippie, glaring at her back isn't going to do anything."

888

Ryu still stood on the grassy patch of land the Al Bhed couple had left him on. He had his eyes closed as he enjoyed the blowing winds. As the minutes passed, he was beginning to wonder if Tidus and Yuna had gotten locked in the airship or something, since it was taking a long time for them to get out. However, his peaceful 'alone' time was interrupted when a harsh, unfriendly voice broke the silence, "You," the voice hissed.

Curiously, the dirty blond opened his eyes and turned to face the own of the voice. Expecting it to be a person from the inn, his blue eyes widened in disbelief and fear when he laid eyes on the raven-haired woman from the previous night. "Oh, crap," he muttered to himself as the girl approached.

"You're in for a world of pain," she said as she grew nearer. "And dearest Maximus isn't here to save you this time." Her fists were clenched at her sides as she stalked over to the dirty blond. She watched in amusement as Ryu's hands lingered over a pair of 20-inch Khukuri She smirked to herself, she wasn't going to draw her weapons. Enough people had seen her yesterday, and she didn't need more attention, or Dios calling her back to his place. Not that she needed her weapons anyway. She was not only skilled with a weapon and magic, but she was physically strong too. _'One, maybe two shots to the head before he's down.'_ She mused.

When she got within a close range to Ryu, he grasped the hilt of the Khukuri and swung at her throat, which would result in a large enough gash to kill anyone. Well, that is if it landed, and unfortunately for him, that wasn't the case. Sonya had merely tilted her head, avoiding the blow completely. Once he saw that he didn't hit her, he didn't wait for her to attack him, he brought the other Khukuri out of its sheath and began an onslaught of attacks.

The raven-haired girl smiled as she ducked, sidestepped, and spun out of the way of each attack. Growing increasingly frustrated, Ryu attacked with both blades ­­­­simultaneously; One aiming for her throat, the other for her abdomen. There was no way she could out maneuver this attack, it seemed inevitable that she was going to get hit one way or another.

However, she didn't need to out maneuver it, instead she reached out and grabbed both his wrists, immediately halting the attack. He looked at her, his eyes wide with trepidation. _'This is a bad thing…'_ the dirty blond thought as he tried to get his wrists free. She smiled sweetly as she applied pressure to his wrists, increasingly making the pressure more agonizing. The pressure became so intense that he actually let out a pained yelp, and dropped his weapons to the ground. The raven-haired girl continued to smile, enjoying the pained expressions crossing the his features as she continued to intensify the pressure she placed on his wrists. _'She's going to snap both my wrists if I don't do something, and quick…'_

Ignoring the intense pain in his wrist, he placed all his weight on his left leg, and used his right leg to deal a swift kick to Sonya's shin. He moved so quickly, he managed to catch the angel off guard. She let out a cry of pain as she jumped back, releasing her grip on the dirty blond and grabbed at her left shin. She glared at the 20 year old in front of her, "You are going to regret that… but not here." She smiled sadistically as she continued; "You'll regret it eternally… on the Farplane." She straightened herself, as she began to gather dark energy at her fingertips. "It was not my original intent to kill you… just maim you… almost beyond repair, but" she shrugged her shoulders, "if you want death, who am I to deprive you of it." She quickly raised her hand and shot a ball of pure dark energy at the dirty blond. She watched in amusement as the blast hit him in the chest and knocked him back a good fifteen feet.

He landed hard on his back, smacking his head on the ground. His breathing was erratic as he slowly turned to his side, as a violent coughing fit overtook him. He gasped for air as the coughing fit slowly began to subside. Strenuously, he pushed the upper portion of his body off the floor. He was on his hands and knees when Sonya was at his side. She gave him a swift kick to his abdomen, knocking him back to the ground. "Ugh…" he muttered as he rolled away from her.

Her facial expression clearly portrayed her domineering personality. "You'll get up when tell you to," she snapped, only furthering her dominating aura. As she followed him her expression seemed to soften slightly, as a sadistic grin crossed her features. "But if you really want to get up…" She muttered a few words in a language Ryu has never heard before moving her hand in an upward motion, resulting in the dirty blond raising off the ground.

The boy looked around, confusion across his face, which was instantaneously replaced with a look of pure terror. He looked at the raven-haired girl who was slowly closing her hand into a fist. He brought his hands up to his throat, grasping for something that wasn't there. "Can't breath…" he stammered as his face began to gain a rosy color to it. Sonya's emerald eyes sparkled with a sick pleasure as she watched Ryu's vain struggle. While one hand was busy trying to release the invisible choker around his throat, he used the other to grasp the hilt of another KhukuriWith all his strength he chucked it at Sonya.

Sonya jumped to her left and watched as the blade pierced the ground besides her. She looked up at Ryu and raised an eyebrow, "Well that wasn't exactly nice…" She quickly moved again as the flash of yet another silver blade came at her. "Crap, how many of those do you have there?" she asked in a dry tone.

He didn't respond, not that he could say much in his current situation anyway. He did, however, make a grab for something else at his waist. Not waiting for him to pull another one of his Khukuri out from that magical sheath of endless possibilities, Sonya clenched her fist tighter, causing the pressure on Ryu's neck to increase greatly. She watched in enjoyment as his movements became more frantic due the depletion of his air supply. "Lemme… go!" he cried out in desperation, his lungs burning, in desperate need for some oxygen.

She pouted slightly and in a mock hurt tone she said, "What? You don't wanna play with me anymore?" She held her fist closed for a bit longer. She watched as his arms began to droop at his sides, until they were fully limp. "Psh, fine, the quicker I finish this, the better." She abruptly opened her hand.

Immediately a gush of cool air rushed into the lungs of the dirty blond. Sonya smirked to herself as she allowed her hand to fall to her side, break her hold on him completely. Ryu let out a yell as he immediately plummeted out of the sky and into the chasm in front of the Travel Agency. The raven-haired girl ambled to the edge of the cliff and popped her head over the lip of it. The grin on her face faded when she saw he had landed on a ledge jutting out of the chasm's wall, saving him from falling the other 25 feet to the bottom of the gorge. A growl escaped from her lips as she leapt over the edge of the chasm. She pulled her knees to her chest as she flipped in the air twice and expertly landed in a crouched position about five feet to Ryu's left.

Ryu was sprawled out in a supine position, panting. His eyes were closed as pain course through his body. Every inch of his body was burning from oxygen deprivation and he was sure something had been broken during that fall. Not having enough stamina to mutter a simple cure spell, he simply laid there. The sound of leaves crunching under foot caused Ryu to open his azure eyes. Upon laying eye on his attacker, he cursed mentally. _'I have to get away from her…'_ As he noticed she was growing nearer, he mustered up enough strength to begin to roll away from her. He rolled towards the end of the plateau that had originally saved his life.

Realizing what the boy was going to do Sonya stepped up her pace a bit. "Oh no you don't," she muttered as she made a grab for him before he rolled off the plateau entirely. "Gotcha!" she exclaimed as she got a firm grasp on the belt that held the sheathes for his weapons.

"Not quite," he muttered as he unlatched the buckle of his belt and completely rolled off the cliff.

She gave a sharp pull on the leather strap, only to fall back from the lack of resistance presented to her. She quickly jumped to her feet and hastily made her way to the edge of the plateau. She watched as the wind altered its coarse, providing a safe and soft landing for the blue-eyed boy. She looked down at her hand, which was still holding firmly the belt of sheathes that currently had two Khukuri placed in them. She grinned as she pulled one out. _'Let's see how much he likes to have things thrown at him.'_ She muttered a few words under her breath and watched with a satisfied grin as the metallic blade was immersed in a dark cloud. She pulled her arm back and hurtled the modified blade at the dirty blond below.

"Arghhh!" Ryu cried out as the blade pierced through his upper thigh.

888

Tidus and Yuna exchanged glances as they heard the scream echo throughout the area. Immediately, the change direction and ran toward the sound of the scream. "Someone's in trouble!" Yuna remarked as she ran along side her husband.

The increased their speed as they heard another scream reverberate in their heads. When the reached the edge of the chasm, they looked down to see a very injured Ryu, and a very angry looking Sonya.

888

He pulled the blade out from his leg and looked at the abrasion. It was a good three inches long, and he could only imagine how deep it was. He assumed, by the amount of blood that was pouring fourth, that it was deep. "Yevon…" he muttered to himself as he wiped the bloodied hand on his pants.

Sonya took a running leap off the plateau, flipping once in the air before spreading her wings. She pulled the black blade she had named Oblivion Rapier from its sheath and began her descent. She flared out her black wings and swooped down, her arm pulled back, ready to deal the fatal blow. However, as she got close to him, the winds picked up. They filled her wings, and violently blew her off course and into the side of the chasm.

"Aieyeeeee!" she screamed out as a sickening crunch resounded through out the chasm. Her body appeared to go limp as she fell to the ground. When she hit the floor she didn't move, she had her eyes closed tightly and her fists clenched as pain ravaged her body. "Oh dear Dios," she said as she sat up. She looked over her shoulder at the mangled wing. "That bastard." She winced as she attempted to move her wing. She closed her eyes as she muttered, "Darkness engulf."

A large cloud of darkness completely surrounded her, healing the broken wing and the other injuries she sustained from the fall. When the cloud cleared all the abrasions she'd previously had were gone and Sonya showed no evidence she had ever been in a 'fight.' She stood and stalked over Ryu's, now, supine body, determination flaring in her green eyes, pulling one of her guns from its holster on her right thigh as she did so. She cocked it and shot it, aiming right for his head.

888

Yuna glanced at her husband, worry shining through her bi-colored eyes. "Hurry!" she said as she picked up her pace, running as fast as her legs would carry her.

"I am," he said as he took ran quicker. "I just hope it's not too late," he muttered quietly as he ran steadily behind the brunette.

888

"You've got to be shitting me," she said as she brought her hand to her forehead. What would have been a fatal shot, was hindered by a protective shield of extremely strong holy magic. She didn't have to turn around, as she said, "What do you want?"

"Well, firstly, you can't kill innocent people. And secondly? I have a message from Dios," the silver-eyed brunette said from behind her. He paused trying to think of the best way to tell the dark angel the happy news.

"Are you going to tell me before I rust?" Sonya snapped, forcibly shoving her gun back into its holster. She gritted her teeth, she had a strange inkling she wasn't going to enjoy the news.

"There is a problem concerning the Farplane and the people we've succeed," he started, choosing his words carefully. "Dios needs us to set up barriers in all the temples, and "shut down" the Farplane in Guadosalam."

"And?" she questioned irritably. "I know you're not telling me something."

He hesitated, not really wanting to tell her the last part, knowing it was just going to further her enraged state. "Yeah… well, in order to make the seals complete, we have to find the heirs of the other gods…"

"I won't do it," she said, cutting him off mid-sentence. She still remained with her back turned to him. She clenched her fists, her knuckles beginning to whiten. "I refuse to associate myself with humans for any reason other than pleasure and pain. And those normally don't last longer than an hour."

"Dios orders it," he said in an austere tone.

"Bullshit," she said, finally turning around to face him. "I'll do my part of the deal then you can get your little human friends to do their part… _without me_."

"It won't work," Maximus continued, vainly trying to get her to listen to him. Although he knew she wasn't listening to him, she had already made up her mind, he continued, "We have to work together!"

"Screw that," she said before snapping her fingers and disappearing from the scene.

At this time, Yuna and Tidus decided to make a reappearance. Yuna ran over to the motionless body of blue-eyed young adult. "Ryu!" she immediately began casting curative magic on him.

Maximus walked over to the dirty blonde's body. He placed his hand on the boy's forehead and did a 'full-cure' on him. A groan emitted from his mouth as he slowly regained consciousness. The angel watched him as he sat up, "You seem to be on the top of Sonya's hit list," he smirked before continuing, "Anyway, how do you feel?"

"I feel like I was just attacked by a mythical creature that has a serious attitude problem… oh wait," he gave the angel a dry look, "I was."

Maximus paid his sarcastic remarks no attention as he stood. He offered him his hand, helping the young man to his feet. He turned from the dirty blond and looked towards Tidus, "Dios said to speak with you. What exactly do you want?"

Tidus didn't waste anytime in replying, he immediately spat out what he'd be trying to say since last night. "And that is why I need the help of you and Sonya," he said, finishing up his speech.

Both Maximus and Ryu stared at the blond blitzer. He had pulled a Rikku with that one, speaking with out breathing, a thing that left most people uncoordinated and confused. Maximus was the first to snap out of his dazed stupor when he shook his head and said, "I'm sorry… I stopped listening after 'I need your help…'"

Tidus' eye seemed to twitch as he looked at the silver eyed man. "You're kidding me right?"

"Yes…" the angel's eyes shifted.

"Helping me find the other heirs?" Tidus repeated slowly.

"Oh that!" A smile crossed his features as he said, "One step ahead of you." He placed his hand on the shoulder of Ryu, "I would like you to meet Ryu the heir of Eos, the goddess of wind."

"What!" Both Tidus and Ryu shouted in bewilderment.

Maximus looked between the two of them. "Ok, I'll try to make this so simple that you can understand." He turned to Ryu, "You are the heir of Eos. Eos was the goddess of wind. That makes you the god of wind." He patted Ryu on the cheek before turning to Tidus, "Ryu is the god of wind. He is an heir. One of the five you are looking for. So now you have one down and four more to go." He glanced between the two men, "Do you understand, now?"

888

"_DIOS_!" Sonya's unpleasant voice echoed throughout the room she had been in the prior evening. '_Working with Maximus would be bad enough, but humans? What is he thinking?'_ She stalked out into the main hall. It was a long entrance hall with high ceiling and ornate chandeliers hanging from them. The walls were a mixture of black, white and gold. Not wanting to walk the whole hall, Sonya spread her wings and flew down the hall.

"_Sonya_," Miguel spat with disgust as he saw her approaching. He crossed his arms and glared at the on coming angel. "You can't just waltz in here whenever you want. Dios wanted to see you before _not_ now." He smirked to himself as he continued, "And I hate to break it to you, but you can't go in now. Dios is busy and he can't be bothered with you."

"Miguel, don't make me maim you." Anymore anger in her voice and she would have been growling. Her eyes were narrowed as she glared at the messenger. "I can see Dios when I want, I'm privileged like that," she landed a few feet before him, "and _no one _can stop me." She whipped out her guns from their holsters. She shot the ground before Miguel, "Dance, Miguel, Dance!"

She smiled sadistically as the blond messenger jumped around frantically, trying to avoid the gunshots and the flying debris the magical bullets were creating. That was until the guns disappeared from her hands and were replaced with smaller, water pistols. "What in the name of Dios?" she said as she pressed the trigger of the gun only to receive a squirt of water emitting from both of them.

"In that Yevon Religion… they aren't allowed to use his name is vain, so why is it that you and Maximus continuously use my name in such manners?" the voice of Sonya's creator resounded from behind her. She whirled around and looked harshly at the man. She held up the water pistols with an exasperated expression on her face. "Those, my dear, are to keep you from killing my messenger. I have your new toys over here," he explained holding up the named _'Twins of Turmoil.'_

"I wasn't going to kill him," she said bitterly as she threw the water pistols over her shoulder, hitting the blond messenger with them. "I promised I wouldn't, I may be a lot of things, but I do not break a promise," she said defensively, giving him a look that made it appear as if she was insulted.

"Unless, you're pushed to an extreme," he finished for her as he placed an arm over her shoulder. He used his hand to ruffle her hair, "Retract your wings, stay a while." She muttered a few curses as she straightened her hair and retracted the black wings. She went to speak but he cast a silence spell over her and said, "Not here. We'll speak in my office."

She emitted a low growl, and followed him. Not that there was much else she could do, she was silenced, and attacking Dios would be a really bad idea. They walked past the messenger who was currently seated on the floor, giving Sonya the dirtiest look he could possibly muster. She glared back at him and kicked him as she passed by. Then for the second time, she smiled, the sound of a cry of pain always seemed to bring her some kind of joy.

Once inside the confines of Dios office, the creator turned towards the dark angel. "Now," he started as he un-silenced the girl with a wave of his hand, "what is it that you wish to discuss with me?"

"Well, Maximus came to me, with a so-called order from you," she started out slowly, trying to keep her temper in check. "Now, it was something so absurd that I knew it couldn't have been true…"

"Don't bother continuing, Sonya. He's not lying." Dios took a seat behind a large white desk. "There's a crisis, and yes, you do need to spend some time with humans."

She clenched her fists by her sides and gritted her teeth. "And what could be so utterly horrific that I not only have to spend time with _dearest Maximus_ but with these _precious humans_," she spoke sarcastically and bitterly.

"Spira is in danger," he started. He would have continued had Sonya not cut him off.

"So what!" she stormed over to his desk. She slammed her hand down on the desk as she said, "Spira is _always_ in danger. It never made a bit of difference. Why would I be needed to help?"

"You and Maximus are needed to find the heirs and train them-"

She twitched as those words left his mouth. "You want us to WHAT! Find the heirs and _train them_!" Her emerald eyes were flashing with anger. She was breathing heavily as she tried to keep her temper in check and not to blow up at her creator. "Dios, do you understand how unbelievably dangerous this is?"

"Sonya, letting you roam Spira is a danger in itself, so yes I am well aware of the detrimental effects this can have," he stated, his voice not once rising above the level that a casual conversation would reach. "But I also know of the even worse things that will occur if you do not do this."

"Well, that's all fine and dandy, sorry it'll cause problems for these poor little people in Spira," she crossed her arms with a look of disdain across her features. "However, I'm still not going to do it."

"You have to, Sonya." His voice now had a hint of urgency to it. "It's an order."

"Screw that. Dios, I won't do it, and no one can make me. Free Will or have you forgotten that?" she snapped. She turned her back to him and head for the door to exit.

"If you don't do this," he shouted out as he stood from his chair, "Both you and Maximus…" He trailed off and looked down at his desk. The dark angel slowly turned back to him, her curiosity getting the best of her. He spoke lowly as he continued, "will die."

Her clenched fist fell limp at her sides and her features softened. Her face palled even more than it already was. "You're lying…"

"Do you see the direness of this situation?" He lifted his eye, locking his silver eyes were her green ones. "It isn't just the people of Spira that are in danger. You know I wouldn't request such a thing, especially of you, if it wasn't an absolute necessity."

She slowly walked back to his desk, taking a seat across from him. She placed a hand over his and said, "Tell me everything…"

888

"Uhm, Max… what exactly did you tell Rin?" Ryu asked as the group entered the airship. Maximus had told the dirty blond that he would take care of his job and Rin, and since then the only thing he had been told was 'Congratulations, Ryu, you no longer have a job.'

The brunette turned his gaze toward him, "That's not important as of right now."

That wasn't exactly the answer he was looking for. And the tone of Maximus's voice told him that he wasn't exactly going to enjoy what he had happened either. He shook his head, that wasn't important now. He wasn't a worker at Rin's Travel Agency any more; he was a god and was going to help protect the world.

"Come on you two," Rikku said as she grabbed Ryu's and Maximus' wrists. "I'll show you to your rooms, and then take you on a tour of the ship!"

"Lead the way, little lady," Maximus said with a smile as he let the petite blond lead him down the hallway.

Yuna turned to her husband with a smile, "Things are looking up. See? I told you not to worry so much."

He smiled as he gently brushed her hair away from her face. "I know, I know. When are you ever wrong?" He kissed her forehead. "We got the hardest part done… well for the most part." He made a face when he thought about the idea of having to convince Sonya to join them, that wasn't something he was going to enjoy doing.

"See, nothing to worry about," she restated before standing on her tiptoes and giving the blitz player a quick kiss on the cheek. "I'm going to help Rikku give them the tour."

He nodded his head and watched as Yuna turned from him and ran in the direction Rikku had gone in. He watched her up until she rounded a corner, disappearing from his view. _'Guess I'll keep Gippal company.'_

888

"Rikku," Gippal's voice sounded over the intercom system that was wired throughout the airship. "Your assistance is needed on the Bridge, would you please make your way down here… _now._"

The perky Al Bhed pouted and snapped her fingers. "Awh, poopie." She turned to her cousin and asked, "Yunie, would you mind finishing the tour… the only place left is-" she used her index finger to point upward.

Yuna nodded her head, "Sure thing, Rikku." The Al Bhed gave the group a quick wave before running in the direction of the Bridge.

"And we will now conclude the tour, with the deck of the ship!" the half Al Bhed exclaimed as she ushered the group into the elevator. Once the doors were closed behind her, she pressed the top button and the elevator began its ascent. "This is my personal favorite place in whole airship."

When the elevator stopped, the summoner faced the two men with a smile. "Ok, prepare yourselves, the view is pretty amazing." Slowly the doors opened and she walked out backwards. "So… what do you think?" she inquired with a smile.

"Yevon!" Ryu exclaimed as his eyes locked onto something he was sure wasn't an everyday part of the view.

Yuna's smile broadened, "I know, its something else isn't it?"

Maximus shook his head as he said, "All due respect, High Summoner, I don't think that is what he is referring to." Yuna furrowed her brow in confusion, which urged the Angel to continue, "Why don't you turn around and take a look for yourself?"

Slowly, the former Summoner turned around. A gasp escaped her lips when she laid eyes on what Ryu had been looking at. Sitting at the front edge of the airship, was the dark haired, sadistic Angel. "Sonya," she said in an almost inaudible whisper. She moved her hands to her hips where her guns rested in their holsters.

"I wouldn't do that," Sonya said, her back still turned to the trio.

Yuna froze mid-action. "I, uh… how did she?" she stammered.

"Dark Angel, Mythical Creature, pretty much all powerful… Do you honestly think I wouldn't know what's going on around me?" Sonya spoke in a condescending manner. She rolled her eyes, an action none of the others could see, as she raised her hand and gave a quick snap of her wrist.

Ryu stared at her confused, not exactly sure of what she was doing. That was until the High Summoner collapsed to the ground. "Yuna!" He quickly knelt down next to her. He narrowed his eyes in the direction of the raven-haired girl. "What did you do to her?"

"Calm down, Sparky," she said as she rose from her seated position at the front of the airship. "She's sleeping, I told her not to try and pull her guns on me." She gave a shrug of her shoulders. "Jeez, you try to kill a few people and suddenly you're labeled as a psychopathic killer."

Maximus shook his head and for the first time since Sonya appeared he spoke. "But, Sonya, you are a psychopathic killer," he spoke in an all too serious tone.

She seemed to ponder his words momentarily before apathetically saying, "Regardless, where's the blond twit?"

"Why? What do you want with him?" Ryu asked harshly as he tried to wake up the slumbering Summoner.

"I need to tell him that I'm going to join in on this little escapade," she apathetically remarked. She brushed her hair over her shoulder and glanced at her nails, "Now, where is he?"

"Bridge… if I'm not mistaken," the brunette remarked as he sent a glance to Ryu. The dirty blond nodded, affirming his statement. "Come on, dearest Sonya, let us go spread the joyous news that hell has frozen over! The Dark Angel is helping the people of Spira, and not killing them!"

She glared at him as he went to place an arm over her shoulder. "Maximus, _don't_ push your luck." She shoved his hand away from her. "Because if it's not clear, let me spell it out for you. I. Don't. Like. You."

888

Tidus was looking at Blitz stats in the paper when he heard the _swoosh_ from one of the doors opening. "Enjoyed the tour," he asked as he slowly lifted his head from the paper.

"Well, I must say the hostess was a little lacking in her presentation," Sonya said dryly as she glanced at the unconscious Summoner in Ryu's arms.

Upon hearing the all too familiar voice of the dark angel, the Blitz star jerked his head in her direction. "_You_!" He looked past her to Ryu who was holding his wife in his arms. "Yuna!" he shouted in alarm as he ran to his wife. He scooped her out of Ryu's arms and held her close to him. "What did you do to her?" he snapped as he sent her an icy glare.

"Why do you just assume that it is I that did something to your precious?" She said as she gave an as innocent a look as she could muster. "Maybe she was just tired and took a nap…"

"In the middle of a tour…on the deck?" Ryu remarked.

She slowly turned her head over her shoulder and sent Ryu a dirty look, "You know, I don't like you much either."

"Trust me the feeling is mutual," he snapped back, immediately treading back away from the angel when he noticed her hand moving towards the blade resting at her waist.

"What do you _want,_ Sonya?" Tidus asked in a less than friendly tone.

She crossed her arms and moved her gaze back to the blond, "One minute you want to ask me for my help, now that I come and say I'll help you're looking to get rid of me?" She rolled her eyes, "You humans never know what you want."

"Wait…" the blitzer said as a look of bewilderment crossed his features. "You want to help us?" He placed his wife down gently on the couch and approached the Dark Angel. "Like, you seriously want to help us? You're going to do something for someone else?"

She scoffed at his words and turned her back to him. She sauntered over to the window, placing her hands on the pane and gazing out into the sky. "Don't mistake this for kindness, I'm just preventing them from taking over the world." She paused before she glanced over her shoulder and smirked, "World Domination is my thing."

-----xXx-----

A/N: Well I do hope everyone enjoyed it. I liked writing this chapter, well once I actually got into the swing of writing, I think all together I wrote this chapter in maybe three sittings? Okies, well you know the deal- you review, I update- the world is a better place –smiles- Alrighty, well til next time, TooodleS!


	6. Mutual Benefit

A/N: I must say, this is one of the quickest updated in the history of Kerri's writing life. Less than a week, but my dear friends, you have my pal Ryan to thank, he and I were up to 5 :15 AM last night –which was SUNDAY in case you weren't aware- working on it. He helped me a lot in this chapter, actually wrote some parts, so you all have to thank him. So if you really want to thank you, **_AFTER_** **_YOU REVIEW MY STORY_** you can go click on Anbu713 under my favorite authors and read and review his stories, because they are almost as good as mine. –grins sheepishly-

**Disclaimer**:

**Da KeR MySteRr: **ya wanna help me with the Disclaimer?  
**Anbu713: **sure, i guess it couldn't hurt, could it?  
**Anbu713: **-glances at sonya- welll... it _could  
_**Da KeR MySteRr: **well... it might...  
**Sonya**: -tries to look innocent- what?  
**Anbu713: **exactly... you've got to try...tho it is good for an act  
**Sonya**: -shrugs- I try  
**Anbu713: **keep trying... one of these days you'll get it down pat... then you'll really be scary  
**Da KeR MySteRr: **She's already scary...  
**Maximus**: Especially her face..  
**Anbu713: **scarier then...  
**Sonya**: -twitch- what!  
**Da KeR MySteRr:**... Before this turns into a blood bath can someone disclaim this story?  
**Anbu713: **ummmm... we don't own anything! particuarly me, i don't even own the OCs...  
**Da KeR MySteRr: **-grins- thank you!  
**Sonya**: I do hope you aren't claiming ownership over me... -glares at Ker-  
**Da KeR MySteRr:**...uhm... look! Sexy hot green-eyed brunette right behind you!  
**Sonya**: what where! –looks around frantically-  
**Da KeR MySteRr: **This cues our exit -grabs Ryan and flees-  
**Anbu713: **READ AND REVIEW!  
**Da KeR MySteRr: **Or... She's -points to Sonya- going to stay with you! -points to readers-  
**Maximus**: Way to scare the readers off...  
**Anbu713: **SHUT UP AND REVIEW FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS GOOD AND JUST IN THIS WORLD!  
**Da KeR MySteRr: **Yeah, what he said! -waves over shoulder- Toodles!  
**Anbu713: **take care!

--xXx--

Mutual Benefit

_The area was dark, much like the feeling in his heart. Standing alone in this area, he stuck his hands in his pockets and walked forward. This area exhibited in a visual aspect of exactly what he had felt on the inside. Cold, dark, and above all else, Lonely._

_The years after being discharged from the Crimson Squad for being 'under age' by a mere 21 days had been rough for him. A scowl found its way onto his face as his green eyes glowed with resentment. "Fricken' Gippal… can't believe I actually trusted that tweak…" Continuing down this dreary path, the green-eyed brunette began to hear ethereal voices speak to him from the dark._

"_Loneliness in and of itself is a disease… slowly wearing away at one's strength and moral…" an unknown feminine voice cooed._

_Contrary to the first voice, the next voice that spoke was male, "Betrayed by a trustee, the most treacherous of all dishonesty."_

_His eye darted around the area, scanning for any unusual movement, but he saw nothing… only darkness. He ignored the voices, kept his head down, and continued down the path; the sooner he found a way out of this place the better._

_As he continued down the trail he had been able to put the voices aside, ignoring their remarks, well that was until…_

"_Nickolis!"_

_He immediately halted his procession. He lifted his head, straining his eyes, to see if he could identify anything. "Who's there?"_

"_Just two people who wish to assist you in obtaining happiness," the female voice replied._

_They had his attention. He hadn't necessarily been happy since the short time in the Crimson Squad. Covert missions, working with guns and ammunition that was his calling, not some stupid desk job in Kilika, sure it paid well, but does that even matter if you hate what you do? He was miserable at his job, he hated it, he hated the people, and he hated his boss. He was hesitant to jump into the anonymous female's word, but he figured anything was better than what he was doing now._

"_How would you like to be working with weapons, performing clandestine missions, and…" the male voice paused, leaving Nick seeming with anticipation. "getting revenge?"_

"_Sounds sweet… what's the catch?" He asked quickly. He yearned to do all those things, but he wasn't stupid. At what cost to him was this going to come?_

"_Smart boy…" the female said slowly. "There is something else you would have to do for us…"_

-----xXx-----

Nick sat up with a jolt, his breathing erratic. His eyes quickly scanned the room, gaining his bearings. Realizing he was in his own room, he calmed slightly and laid back on his pillow. "Freakin' dreams…"

He moved his gaze to the left where his alarm clock was. _'4:15 am… great…'_ He groaned again before rolling to the side of the bed and getting up. It was early, but he may as well start the day, he had work today and he wasn't exactly going to fall back asleep anytime soon. He stumbled toward the bathroom.

After a long hot shower, Nick wrapped a towel around his waist and stood before the medicine cabinet. He reached out to open the cabinet so he could brush his teeth. However, as he did this he attention was caught on something that was engraved on his hand. "the hell…?"

On his hand was an almost engrave symbol that consisted of a python wrapped around the stem of a rose. His eye widened, a hint of excitement shining through his emerald eyes. Instantaneously, he burst out of the bathroom and made a dash down the hall. He held tightly at the towel as he pushed the door to his room open and dove across the bed. He pulled the sphere com off his receiver and punched in the numbers for his job. After three rings a male voice picked up on the other end. "Jayson," the brunette greeted enthusiastically. "I won't be coming into work for the next few day… something came up."

With a sigh of aggravation and a reluctant consent, he hung up the phone and looked at his hand. "Hmm… heirs to the elemental gods…"

-----xXx-----

If there had been any chance of Ryu liking Sonya in the least, that had gone out the proverbial window. She just strolled into the airship like she owned the place, immediately giving orders and making demands. She commandeered Maximus' room and left absolutely no room for any kind of argument.

Since Maximus had lost his room to the dark angel, Ryu had been volunteered to share his room with the brunette, _with_ the promise that the other room would be cleared as soon as possible and they would get other, single beds to put in the rooms. But for now, Ryu had to bite his tongue and share the room… and the bed. Now, he could deal with that, he could deal with the blanket hogging, he could even deal with the mumbling the angel did in his sleep, but the spooning was where he drew the line.

"That's it," he growled as he roughly shoved the angel off him. "I'd rather sleep with a behemoth…" He grabbed a pillow and a blanket from the bed and he stormed out of the room. It was four am and he had barely slept two hours. Normally, he'd be getting up in and hour or two, but that wasn't going to be the case today. _'I'll go sleep in the entertainment room… there was a couch in there…'_

Upon entering the room, he found that it wasn't completely dark and empty as he expected it. The light from the television lighted half the room. _'Who else would be up at this time?'_ As he got closer to the couch, he found it was the last person he wanted to see. Sitting cross-legged on the couch in a tank top and a pair of shorts that could hardly qualify as shorts was the dark haired angel. He groaned, a little louder than expected gaining her attention.

"What's your problem?" she snapped. Her green eyes looked him over with disdain as she crossed her arms.

He sighed and shook his head. "I wanted to sleep here, but you're already up…" he narrowed his eyes, glaring at the woman, "And what the crazy dark witch wants goes," he answered, his tone laced with disrespect and condescension.

She narrowed her eyes before uncrossing her legs and standing from the couch. "For your information, Mr. Stick-up-the-ass, I was just going to bed." She turned the television off and walked over to the dirty blond. "So, don't jump to conclusions, because the next time you do- I'll cut out your tongue and feed it to a bandersnatch." She pushed past him and exited the room en route for her own bedroom.

Ryu sighed once more before walking over to the couch and pretty much collapsing on it before quickly falling asleep.

-----xXx-----

Tidus woke the next morning to the hum of the _HighWind's_ engines. He rolled onto his side and pulled Yuna closer to him. "Good morning," he whispered as he nestled his head in the crook of her neck.

"mm… good morning, Ti," she replied as she brought her hands up and rubbed her eyes. She let out a yawn as she opened her bi-colored eyes for the first time that day. "What time is it?"

"Ten thirty," he answered before sitting up. "We slept late today." He stretched his arms over his head before using his right hand to scratch the back of his head. "Guess we should start the day."

When the married couple stepped out onto the bridge, they were greeted by the two Al Bheds, the dirty blond, and the Angel of Light. "Are we the last two up?" Yuna questioned.

"Nope, our newest member is still slumbering," Gippal answered, avoiding Rikku's gaze. It had been an awkward situation when Gippal met the angel only to realize it was his exgirlfriend, the one Rikku disliked in every way imaginable.

"She was still up at four this morning," Ryu apathetically mentioned.

The couple looked at Maximus, figuring he'd known her for so long that he'd have something to say. He merely gave a shrug of his shoulder and said, "She's a late night, early _afternoon_ kind of person."

"Doesn't much matter, because now I have to head over to Djose and check on things at the Faction," Gippal stated as he checked the coordinates in his computer.

Yuna bit her lower lip before saying, "Yes… but someone should tell her where we'll be heading… we wouldn't want her to wake up and no one be around."

Ryu rolled his blue eyes. "Cause she'd be so concerned, right?" his words were drenched in sarcasm. And though no one would verbally say it, they all knew he was right. She wouldn't care in the least if she woke up and everyone was gone. If anything she'd be nothing short of thrilled.

"Still," Yuna persisted, her conscience not letting her rest. "We should at least leave a note…" She looked around at the group, no one exactly ready to jump in and offer to do the task presented. She sighed and walked over to the table off to the left. She grabbed a piece of paper off Gippal's memo pad and grabbed a pen before she quickly scribbled down a note telling Sonya where they would be. "There," she stated as she placed the pen back in its proper place. "Now, just have to put it under her door, so I'll be right back."

Ten minutes later the gang was stepping off the _HighWind_ and into the city of Djose. The Machine Faction leader gave the group a glance over his shoulder before saying, "I should be done soon… don't wander off too far."

"We aren't little children," Maximus stated in a slightly condescending manner. "We're not going to wander off and get lost. I assume most of us know Spira." He glanced at each person he was traveling with, "Maybe with the exception of Ryu we've all traveled the length of Spira at least once."

Gippal sent him a wary look before shaking his head and saying, "Right… well… I'll be back." He turned away from them and jogged towards the temple. The group looked at each other once before turning and going off in their own directions.

-----xXx-----

An unintelligible sound emitted from the lips of the Dark Angel as she rolled over, light from the window smacking her in the face. "Argh…" she groaned as she rolled over pulling the comforter over her head. "Freakin' light…" was the muffled words from under the blanket. She moved her hands out from under the blanket and snapped her wrist, immediately sending the room into complete darkness. She tossed the blanket off her head and sat up. "That's more like it…"

She looked around, taking in her surroundings. _'What the hell…where am I…?_' She furrowed her brow trying to remember the previous night. After a few minutes, she let an exasperated sigh escape her lips as she buried her face in her hands. _'I'm on that Dios forsaken airship…'_ "Another day to spend with the wonderful human race." She slowly trudge from the bed to the door leading to the hallway, today was going to be the longest day of her life. Spending time with Maximus was a cruel punishment in and of itself, but toss in a few humans and you got yourself a torture that claws at the soul.

When she reached the sliding door, her barefoot fell on something rough. "…What the…?" She tilted her head down to see a slightly crumpled piece of paper by her foot. She bent down, her right arm extended to retrieve the small piece of notepad. She carefully unfolded it and strained her eyes to read the writing in the poorly lit area. _'We're in Djose… oh what fun that'll be…'_ She twirled her finger before crumpling up the paper and tossing it over her shoulder. "I'm so excited, I can hardly contain my joy," she muttered bitterly to herself as she walked out the room and down the hall towards the bathroom so she could shower.

After a prolonged shower, the angel stepped out and faced the fact that she was going to have to interact with them at some point in the day and it would be better to do so in the open, rather than in a closed environment - which might prove to be more than slightly messy. With a flip of her hair and a straightening of the red skirt she was wearing she made her way off the _HighWind_.

She held her hand up, shielding her eyes from the bright sun. _'It's too early in the day for me to be out and about…'_ She walked out into the city, her eyes scanning the crowd for anyone that she was traveling with. It wasn't that she was looking for them so she could be with them, rather she was trying to avoid contact. In her mind, the less contact she had with them, the better.

--xXx--

Having never been in Djose before, Ryu found himself following Rikku as she gave him the "grand tour" of the city. Not that there was much to see there anyway, nor for that matter was he really paying that much attention. The only thing he ever did in cities was go to the clubs, and Djose didn't seem to have one anyway.

"Are you even listening to me?" Rikku demanded as she stopped and turned around so suddenly that Ryu nearly walked into her.

"Sorry, not much of a city person," Ryu admitted sheepishly. "I've always preferred the country to cities. That's why I worked on the high road willingly."

"You could've just said so, you know! It would've saved me a lot of time!" Ryu stared at the annoyed Al Bhed in open shock, a stare that Rikku was quick to notice. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I'm not angry with you, really, it's just…" she sighed and looked around at the people glancing at her uncertainly. "I don't like Sonya all that much."

"I get the feeling not many of us do…" Ryu said slowly as he sat down on a nearby bench and motioned for Rikku to join him. "So what specifically has gotten you so flustered?"

"Well… Gippal and Sonya used to go out… and…"

"You're worried he might still have feelings for her?" Ryu filled in questioningly.

"Maybe… I dunno," Rikku admitted. "I just don't like her, at all. I didn't like her when Gippie used to tell me about her, and meeting her…"

"Hey, at least she didn't impale your leg with your own weapon," Ryu said in enough of a joking voice to get Rikku to grin.

"Well, I guess that's true. Still…" Rikku added with a sigh as she leaned her head back and looked at the sky. "I'm kind of afraid of what might happen if we leave the two of them alone."

Ryu considered the statement for a few seconds before sighing. "I wouldn't be too worried about it if I were you. I get the feeling from the way Gippal couldn't look you in the eye earlier that he was kind of ashamed of whatever he did with Sonya. I doubt he'll try anything."

"You really think he won't try anything?" Rikku asked uncertainly, her swirled eyes filled with apprehension.

"Not a chance," Ryu said with a shrug.

Rikku smiled as she watched some birds fly overhead. At least not all their new friends were 7000 year old sluts.

--xXx--

Sonya grinned to herself as she walked into the Machina Faction's headquarters. Immediately every oil and sweat covered Al Bhed head turned to gawk at her as she casually strolled through, except for one. Sonya looked around, hoping Rikku would be nearby. The Al Bhed's perky demeanor had already gotten under her skin, and flirting with Rikku's boyfriend would be a good, if sadly not violent, way to get even. She didn't feel like dealing with Maximus any more then she had to, and killing someone in cold blood would certainly get the benevolent angel in a foul mood.

Sadly, the girl was nowhere to be found. Sonya sighed and was about to open the doors to leave when they opened of their own accord. Or so it appeared until a green-eyed, brown haired young man walked in through them, donning a pair of goggles as he stepped past Sonya who watched him go with interest. '_Well, he's definitely being moved to the top of my to do list._'

--xXx--

Nick couldn't help but glance back at the woman with the red skirt, even as he stepped around behind one of the machina to avoid being seen by Gippal. '_Damn, where did she come from? Djose didn't have scenery like that last time I was here,_' he thought as the woman walked out the door. There was something oddly alluring about the way she walked. He was tempted to follow her, and forget about Gippal for the time being, but a quick glance at his hand reminded him that he had other things to deal with. With a sigh he glanced around, quickly spotting Gippal as the one-eyed Al Bhed started to walk out the door as well. Nick grinned as he followed from a safe distance. Maybe he'd get to see that red-skirted woman again after all. He knew of a motel in Djose that would serve his purposes quite nicely.

--xXx--

"So, where are we going next?" Ryu inquired when he saw Gippal walking towards the airship.

"Not a clue. I'm just the driver," Gippal replied with a grin. He gave a quick glance around the area, "Where's Rikku?"

"Inside with Yuna," Ryu said. Gippal nodded and started to walk past him, but Ryu's hand shot out, stopping him. "Listen, I was talking to Rikku earlier. She's really worried that you might do something with Sonya. Just thought you should know," Ryu explained quietly.

Gippal nodded his appreciation. "Thanks for the tip."

"She's a nice girl. Don't botch it up," Ryu warned before letting the Al Bhed go.

"You aren't half bad, you know that?" Ryu gave Gippal a weird look as they walked onto the airship. "You barely know us and you're looking out for us."

"Oh that? Nah, that's just how I am," Ryu said with a shrug.

"The modest type, eh? Fine, won't bother me. Just don't try that act with Rikku. She doesn't believe in the whole not taking credit for what you do thing," Gippal warned with a laugh.

"Oh, this is going to be a long trip then," Ryu said with a chuckle. When the rest of the group, excluding Sonya, came into view he looked towards the blond Blitzer and asked, "So, Tidus, where to next?"

"Haven't really gotten that far yet," Tidus admitted. He seemed to contemplate the question a little bit longer before shrugging his shoulders and saying, "Maybe we should just call it a night… we'll think about it tomorrow."

"Indeed, you will all need your strength for the trip ahead," Maximus agreed with a nod. "Perhaps going to bed early isn't such a bad idea."

"Ok, but shouldn't we go find Sonya," Yuna asked lowly, though she didn't like the angel much, she couldn't ignore her conscience that wouldn't allow her to just ditch someone.

"She's a big girl. She'll be back and in her bed by sunrise," Maximus informed the group. "No need to wait up for her, just leave the door unlocked or you won't have one anymore."

"I'll keep that in mind," Gippal muttered, his eye twitching slightly as he glanced out at the setting sun. "Well, it's sunset, and there's really not much to do around here once the sun goes down, so we _should_ probably call it a night. Who knows, maybe we'll get lucky and-"

"Leave without me?" Sonya asked dryly as she walked onto the airship. "I don't think so. I'd tear this thing apart the moment you went to take off."

"Well, now that everyone's back, let's just go to bed," Yuna suggested as Sonya sat down on the couch, crossed her legs, and turned the TV on while giving Ryu a meaningful glare.

--xXx--

Nick shook his head in shocked disbelief. Gippal really was traveling with that raven-haired woman? What could she want with a tweak like him? Or maybe she was looking for these heirs too...?

Regardless, Gippal had made Nick's job a whole lot easier. He looked at the little machina in his hand and smiled evilly. '_It's really amazing how easy you're making this Gippal._' He thought as he tossed the machina onto the ship. '_You can run but you can't hide._'

--xXx--

Ryu shook his head as Maximus snored away from his bed. Even if he had been tired, the thought of spending another night with the angel didn't sit well with him. The fact that the sun had _just _gone down didn't help him any either, so he found himself wandering the halls of the airship.

Halls that quickly lead to the entertainment room, where Sonya was flipping through the channels on the television. He didn't bother to return the glare she sent him as he walked in. "Not sleeping on the couch tonight?"

"Not sleeping yet period," Ryu replied dryly. Maybe he could make it to the kitchen without having to talk to her anymore.

"What's the matter, afraid of a little spooning?" Sonya asked mockingly.

"Nope, I just don't feel like going to sleep yet," Ryu replied as patiently as he could. It was amazing how quickly she could get on his nerves.

"Sure," came the dark angel's disbelieving reply.

"Tell me," he started turning his head to look at her. "Why do you hate me so much?" Ryu asked, although he knew he would regret it.

"I hate the entire human race, I'm not making any exceptions for you because you just happen to have Eos's power," Sonya stated firmly.

"Oh, ok," Ryu replied before heading into the kitchen.

"We start your training tomorrow," Sonya called in from the entertainment room, causing Ryu to choke on the glass of water he was drinking. "You'll need all the sleep you can get, little boy."

'_Wonderful_.' Ryu thought to himself. Tomorrow was going to be a long day, he knew that much already.

--xXx--

It was later in the afternoon, allowing time for Sonya to willingly roll out of bed and get ready for her day. Maximus had spent most the day trying to get Tidus to get some kind of control on his element, leaving Ryu with nothing to do.

"Well, since Maximus is working with the blond twit on his magic, you," Sonya stated as she pointed a slender finger at the wind god, "are going to physically train with me."

"And how exactly would we go about that?" he questioned, his eyebrow raised. He watched as she pulled out her blade and gave him a look that said 'do I have to spell it out for you.' His eyes widened and his mouth fell slightly ajar. He wasn't really looking to fight her, she had pretty much been in a bad mood, worse than normal, since she woke to the sounds of Tidus singing in the shower- which had ended in the dark angel storming into the bathroom, much to the mortification of Tidus, and giving him a black eye, via her fist. It had taken Yuna a few tries before she finally got the bruise to disappear. "You're kidding me right?"

She crossed her arms and looked sternly at the younger man. "Do I look like I'm kidding?" When he just continued to stare at her like she was a Ronso sporting a bikini she glared and snapped, "Would you rather test you magic skills against mine? Mind you, I _will not_ hold back."

Those words seemed to spark the dirty blond into action as he jumped up from his seated position on the ground and grabbed two kukris from their sheathes and stated, "Nope, physical is fine."

While Sonya and Ryu were starting their physical training, Maximus was finding that Tidus wasn't very much in tune with magic… at all. With a sigh of aggravation Maximus stated, "Listen, just get a ball of water to materialize… that's it…"

The blond looked at him like he was a Marlboro. _'Because materializing water out of thin air is such an easy task…'_ After countless attempts, and countless failures, the blond finally was able to get a ball of water to materialize before him and actually keep it there. His smile ran from ear to ear as he felt proud that he was able to accomplish his task.

"Now, try to move it… to about around where Sonya and Ryu are," the silver-eyed Angel instructed as he watched at the other two. Sonya was instructing Ryu on a number of different tactics and elements that should be expected during a battle.

Reluctantly, Tidus did what the angel told him to do. The water levitated and moved over in the direction of Sonya and Ryu. Tidus grinned as the ball of water merely floated through the air, without a problem. He was even able to make it stop over the two that were fighting. He was finally getting the hang of this.

That was until his wife distracted him. She had just come through the door, out onto the deck and, unknowing of what was going on, called to Tidus. This resulted into a chain reaction of events. The blond blitzer turned his head in her direction, loosing all focus on the sphere of water. The water then dumped out of the sky, and onto Sonya, drenching her completely. This resulted in a long string of curses followed up with the raven-haired girl pulling a gun from its holster and shooting the blond in the head.

"TIDUS!" Yuna shrieked as she ran over to her husband, casting life over his motionless body. Sonya shook as much water off as she possibly could as she continued to mutter vulgar terms under her breath. Ryu watched in awe as Sonya showed no remorse in the least about killing the blitzer as Maximus and Yuna cast restorative magic over him.

After a few moments, the blond slowly sat up. He put his hand to his head and groaned loudly, "Why do I have such a huge headache?"

"That my friend," Maximus said as he placed a hand on the blitzer's shoulder, "Would be because of that lovely lady right there." He gestures to a Sonya that was sopping wet from head to toe. "She shot you in the head after you soaked her with your water spell," he informed the blond. He lowered his voice to a whisper before continuing, "She has this thing against water…" he let a smirk cross his lips, "and soap…"

Sonya pursed her lips as she shot a nasty look in Maximus' direction. She raised her left hand and made a rude gesture with it before she stormed off back into the confines of the airship muttering, 'why do I bother' as she walked.

Maximus stood from his place and looked the three on the deck. "I think she and I need to discuss the importance of _not_ killing the heirs…"

"Sonya," Maximus called after the raven-haired girl. He began a to jog lightly to catch up with her. "We have to discuss a few things."

She sent him a sideways glance before saying, "We have to discuss nothing." She quickened her pace as she rounded a corner, heading for her room. "I have nothing to say to you." He grabbed her arm, which resulted in Sonya turning around and dealing a swift blow to the brunette's head. "_Never_. Touch. Me. Again." Had there been any more animosity in the words she spoke she would have been growling.

He rubbed the side of his face that she had hit. He was sure that was going to leave some kind of mark. Regardless, he needed to talk to her. She couldn't go around shooting every person she wanted, especially not the heirs. This was too important a thing to allow her carte blanche. "Sonya, you have to listen and you better listen good."

"_Or_ you can shut up and go to hell," she said as she approached the door to her room. She sent him a warning glare, almost daring him to step foot in her room before she turned her head from him and step into her 'sanctuary.' This of course did nothing to stop Maximus from barging in after her. Under normal circumstances, he'd have left her alone, but not now. "Oh for the love of Dios," she muttered as she saw him enter after her.

"I'll bring this to Dios if that's truly what you want," Maximus warned. He watched as she threw herself backwards on her bed, rolling her eyes. He shook his head, ignoring he immature antics before continuing, "Do you not understand the gravity of this whole situation? You can't go around killing random people, and you sure as hell can't go shooting the heirs. This is important to Spira, its important to us. You're going to have to swallow your pride, bite you tongue and bare with it."

The raven-haired girl sighed, it hadn't been two days and she was already fed up with this whole thing. She just wanted to find the other heirs, do what had to be done, and get the hell away from them and Maximus. She couldn't bare the fact that he was now in her business almost 24/7. "You, _dearest_ Maximus, are beginning to wear on the small bit of patience I have." She sat up and glowered at the brunette. "Which may I remind you, is a _really _bad thing."

"Yes, well since you seem to have an affinity for shooting people, I'm going to have to collect your guns before I leave you be," He stated firmly as he held out his hand.

She glanced at him. He had to be kidding. '_He can't be serious…'_ When he didn't move or speak again, she realized he was serious and her facial expression turned grave. "You'll be collecting your teeth if you try to touch my weapons."

"Sonya," he said sternly, his hand stilled our stretched, sincerely waiting for her to surrender her weapons.

"Maximus," she stated in response, her voice just as unyielding as his.

The two stared each other down. Emerald eyes locked with silver eyes, neither one willing to back down. And had Gippal not entered the room, they may have been a massive amount of blood to clean up. "Hey, guys – we're uh… am I interrupting something?"

Each angel snapped their head in his direction. The Al Bhed shuddered involuntarily as their harsh gazes landed on him. "What?" The two snapped simultaneously. They were definitely not someone he wanted to piss off.

He took a step back, so that he was now in the doorway, instead of within the confines of the actual room. "I was letting you two know that heading over to Gagazet tonight so you can start out in the morning, Yuna tried to tell you before but… there was an unfortunate _accident_."

Sonya's eye twitched before she groaned and dropped herself back onto the bed. "Gagazet? I abhor Gagazet, it has to be one of the worst places in all of Spira, the people population is nil, the fiends are pathetic, and its _freakin' cold_."

Maximus, as much as he hated to agree with her, nodded. He wasn't too enthralled about going to Mt. Gagazet either. Last time he went there, he had to listen to a long drawn out speech about the Sacred Ronso grounds. He rolled his eyes at the thought, '_Stupid Ronso truths… I was _here _when these so called 'Sacred Grounds' were created_.' "Is this where we expect to find the heir to the goddess Sedna?"

Gippal raised an eyebrow, "Find the air of what now?"

"The _heir_ of Sedna, the ice goddess, you idiot," Sonya snapped. Her patience was low to begin with and dealing with Maximus had made them pretty much non-existant. She raised her head off the bed and glared at the two men. "Don't kill the heirs, we're going to be in Gaga-suck tomorrow, is that it?" The two males silently answered with a nod of their heads. "Then, why are you still in my room?"

The men took the question as a forewarning to something that would not be in the least bit pleasant if they did not vacate the premises immediately. Angering Sonya any further today wasn't on their list of things to do, and besides they'd still have to deal with the woman tomorrow.

--xXx—

A/N: Well, there you have it, next they're off to Gagazet! Isn't that exciting? I know I'm excited! Woo Hoo! –runs off to work on chapter- Review, please!


	7. Cold TemperatureWarm Heart

A/N: Ok, I had this written two days after I posted the last chapter. I know, crazy huh? I've been on this writing frenzy, but I'm sure you aren't complaining. I was going to wait and not update till I got 80 reviews, but I decided not to (because I love you guys!)But if you guys could be nice, my birthday is in two weeks, so please review! Toodles!

Disclaimer:

**KeR MySteRr: **I only own the OCs  
**Sonya: **And there is A LOT of them…  
**Max: **-Nods a lot- they're everyone –looks around-  
KeR MySteRr: yea well… that's ok! Go read!

---xXx---

**Cold Temperature; Warm Heart**

Early the next morning, Yuna, Ryu, Tidus, and Maximus were congregated in the bridge area of the ship. Tidus had a sleepy expression on his face as he ran a hand through his hair. "Is it really necessary to leave this early?" he questioned before a yawn escaped his mouth. "I mean, _Rikku_ is still sleeping."

"_Rikku_ was up all night with Gippal helping to pilot the ship so we could be here," Yuna reminded him. Truth be told, they didn't have to leave this early, but she wanted to speak with Kimahri and look for the heir. Valefor had said the heirs would be where their elements were plentiful and she couldn't think of any other place where ice would be found in more bountiful amounts, other than Gagazet. "So, are we all ready?"

Tidus looked around at the three that were with him. He noticed immediately they weren't all there but he knew no one else was going to point that out. "We're not all here…" he spoke slowly.

"If you mean Sonya, she will not get up at her own accord at this time," Maximus interjected. He smirked, a glint of mischief shining in his silver eyes. "To get her moving, someone has to go and wake her up." Yuna, Tidus and Ryu all slowly turned their heads in his direction, giving him the same look of 'You're crazy if you think I'm going in there.' Maximus gave a shrug of his shoulders and said, "If you want her to come, someone will _have _to do it."

After much debating and finally a forceful shove down the hallway, Ryu was making his way into the Dark Angel's room. He muttered a few curses in Al Bhed as the door opened before him. Of the entire group, he just _had_ to be chosen to go wake her up. He was the one she seemed to have an affinity for beating on, and yet he was going into her domain to wake her up. It wasn't even like there was the small possibility she would be a morning person, not after yesterday's antics. He took a deep breath and sighed mentally before he walked towards her bed.

There was a huddled mass gathered in the center of the bed, under the blankets. He reached out his arm and went to shake her shoulder, "So-"

But before he could finish, or even grab her shoulder, the wind god had the barrel of one of her guns pressed to his forehead. "You have til three to leave with your life…" she threatened from under the blanket.

He wasn't stupid, he backtracked out of her room and down the hall as fast as he could possibly manage. When he met up with the others he gave no explanation as to why he was without Sonya, and why he was out of breath. He merely stated, "She doesn't want to come."

---xXx---

They had to walk a bit of a distance, considering you couldn't exactly just land an airship on the side of the mountain. Gippal tried his best to get the airship as close to Gagazet as possible, but they were still a good distance from the mountain. Even when they reached the bottom of the enormous rock, they still had to climb a bit of a distance to the Ronso village.

Upon entrance to the village, the four companions were greeted by two of the smaller Ronso. Small, though, was a rather large understatement. The Ronso youths must have been as tall as Yuna, if not taller. They greeted the High Summoner before running off to get Kimahri.

The High Summoner smiled when she saw her former guardian. She jogged towards him. "Kimahri!" she called with a grin before she wrapped her arms around him, or as much as his large, furry body would permit.

"Kimahri happy to see Yuna," he started after releasing the petite brunette from the hug. He looked down at the young woman before continuing, "Kimahri wonder, why Yuna come?"

The half Al Bhed smiled sadly before saying, "There is a problem and we were wondering if you might be able to help us a little bit."

"Kimahri help Yuna always," the blue giant stated as he motioned for them to move further into the village. He led the group into a small tent, where he proceeded to sit down on the floor, the others following his lead. "First. Yuna introduce Kimahri to friends."

"Oh… of course," she said with a slight blush, slightly embarrassed she had forgotten to introduce her new comrades. "This is Ryu," she said motioning to the dirty blond, whom in turn smiled and gave a slight wave of his hand. "And this is Maximus," she continued, motioning to the brunette beside Tidus. "They're part of the reason we're here."

"Kimahri listen well to Yuna," he informed her, though it was almost excessive, since it was obvious the Ronso cared about Yuna and would do anything to help her.

---xXx---

He dropped from the sky and into a large snow bank. He slowly stood and shook off as much snow as he possibly could. _'Well, that was a _pleasant _trip…' _He looked down at himself, checking to see if he still had all his body parts. He was relieved to find he was still whole, after all, that trip wasn't all that enjoyable. They had told him it would be weird the first few times, but it was the only way they were going to be able to get him around, unless he wanted to walk from Djose to Gagazet. They didn't, however, warn him it would feel like someone was trying to rip his limbs from his body.

He shook his head and muttered, "That isn't much of any feeling I would want to get used to…" Regardless, he enjoyed the feeling of his body intact and continued to move forward. Now that he was here, he just needed to actually locate Tidus and the other heirs.

---xXx---

Kimahri had told the others not many people pass through Gagazet anymore. Airships had pretty much made the travel through the paths of the mountain a nonexistent need. He did however, mention a girl passing through not too long ago, maybe a few days prior to their arrival. She hadn't come back which led them to believe she had to be somewhere in the vicinity.

And that was all they needed to hear before they started out in search for the unknown girl. It wasn't much, and they weren't sure if they would find her, or if she was still alive, seeing as how Gagazet's weather wasn't always so friendly, but it was a start and they had nothing else to go on. Together the five of them, Yuna, Tidus, Kimahri, Maximus and Ryu, searched the mountain together, leaving no stone left unturned. They continued this pattern until they reached a split in the path, one was a continuation of the path they were already on, and the other led to the Fayth Scar, a part of the Ronso's Sacred Ground, that led up to Zanarkand.

Not wishing to ever step foot on the so-called Sacred Grounds named the Fayth Scar, fearing he'd have to listen to another long drawn out story about it, Maximus opted to continue on the path they were already on. Yuna volunteered herself and Tidus to take the Fayth Scar and Kimahri decided he'd accompany them. "Guess I'll be going with Max then," the wind god said before he followed after the angel.

"We'll meet back at the village, ok?" Yuna shouted to the two men, who nodded a yes before continuing down their own path.

They remained remotely quiet as they walked. They didn't see any people. The only thing that their eyes saw was snow, ice, snow, ice, snow, oh and some more ice. "Do you know if the heir is even here?" Ryu questioned after some time.

Maximus gave a shrug of his shoulders. "I feel something, but then again, there are two heirs here already which could be throwing me off completely," the angel admitted. "It would be slightly easier if we had Sonya. As much of an annoyance she can be," he ignored Ryu as the wind god muttered 'understatement' under his breath, "She'd be able to tell if the person, if Yuna finds her, is the heir or not. Instead they have to wait for me."

"Yeah… what's her problem?' Ryu asked as he rubbed his hands together. Gloves would have been a smart move.

"I said it yesterday, she's a late night, early afternoon kind of person," he said nonchalantly as he glanced around the snow-covered area. He hoped to find this person soon, all this snow was giving him a headache.

"I don't mean that, that I can understand. I mean, what's with her 'I hate you, I'm superior to everyone, you suck go die' attitude problem," he questions. "I mean was she always such a witch, or is this just a special time?" Though the question would appear more sarcastic than sincere, the wind god was truly curious. Had she always been such a nasty person?

The angel glanced at the dirty blond. His silver eyes had a strange look to them. It seemed as if he was debating between laughing and becoming defensive on the topic. He averted his gaze to the path before him. "Sonya… is a complex person…" he started slowly, obviously choosing his words carefully. "There is much you don't know about her, and I'll be honest, most you'll never know…"

The wind god blinked a few times. He must be going crazy, because he couldn't have just heard Maximus, the angel of light, come to the defense of Sonya, the crazed Dark Angel who had a problem with everyone. "I'm sorry, am I loosing it, or was that defense on Sonya's behalf?"

He shrugged his shoulders again. "I can't tell you about her business, it isn't my place. However, I will say this," he glanced at Ryu before continuing, "Don't judge a book by its cover."

---xXx---

As they came to the border between Gagazet and Zanarkand, the blond water god sighed. They hadn't come across anything, with the exception of some fiends. It seemed that there was no one here and, unless the others had found someone, they were going back home empty handed. "Well, they aren't here," the blitzer said as he turned his back to the ruined Machina city that had been turned into a landmark of sorts. Yuna had managed to talk Cid out of the theme park, and instead turning it into a shrine for all the past summoners and their purpose. "We should head back."

"Hey," Yuna said as she placed her hand on his arm. "Don't be so disappointed, maybe Ryu and Maximus found something." Tidus gave her an incredulous look, causing the High Summoner to sigh. "Even if they didn't, we still have Macalania to check and maybe we can send Maximus and Sonya out later so that they can have a go at the mountain. They would probably sense what we couldn't see."

"Kimahri have faith in Yuna, and have faith in Tidus," he said as he placed a paw on the shoulder of Yuna and Tidus. "Yuna and Tidus find heirs soon, Kimahri know it."

"Thanks, Kimahri," the blitzer muttered as they headed back through the Fayth Scar.

---xXx---

The path they were on led into a cul-de-sac. The whole time they had been on the path, they had not come across a single person. Had it not been for the hot spring they came across at the end of the pathway, Ryu would have considered the whole thing a failure and pretty much a waste of time. "Well, at least our time hasn't been a total waste," he said as he approached the hot spring. "Care to relax a bit before we head back?"

He didn't wait for a reply before he started to strip off some layers of clothing and stepped into the hot spring. "I wouldn't go in there," Maximus warned as he watched the dirty blond continue into the water. Ryu merely shrugged off his heeding and ignored him. "This is part of the sacred Ronso ground… you are probably insulting them."

The wind god gave the angel a dry look before he inquired, "Are you afraid of some Ronso voodoo or something?" A smirk graced his features before he continued, "Besides, what's the worst that could happen?"

A gust of frigid wind blew, causing the angel to shiver. _'I hate the cold…' _He looked at Ryu who was currently submerged up to his neck in the water. "You're just tempting fate with those words," he said as he turned his back to him. "You can stay and _relax_ all you want, I'm heading back."

"I'll be there in a little while," he shouted after the angel. In his mind, he deserved this little bit of relaxation. He's been the lucky one that's had to deal with Sonya, and after going into her room this morning, he wasn't exactly jumping to head back. He figured, only bad things would come from that.

He stayed in the water until he saw that his hands hand grown pruney. _'Well… guess I should get out then…'_ He slowly made his way back towards the shore. He was now in about waist high water, a mere few yards from the ice-covered bank. However, when he tried to move forward, he found he couldn't. He was stuck. Apparently, the water had chosen this time to decide it was going to freeze over. _'What the hell?'_

He stood frozen in that solitary place, confused, until a noise brought his attention to the area ahead of him. A girl was crouched down, her left hand on the ground. She lifted her head and pushed her pulled back hair over her shoulder. "What'cha doing way up here?" she asked with a smile. "Not many people come up here, ya know." She brushed her light brown side bangs out of her face revealing a pair of bright azure colored eyes.

Ryu watched as she stood from her crouched position. The pants she was wearing just missed the floor, and they matched in color the ebony boots she was wearing. Aside from a white turtleneck and a pair of fingerless white gloves, she wore nothing to keep her warm. He half smiled as he spoke, "Hey, think you can lend a guy a hand?" He motioned to the frozen spring around him as he continued, "I appear to be… frozen."

"So I noticed," she said with a grin. Her blue eyes sparkled as she continued, "Pretty neat, huh?"

"Not really." He shook his head before a shiver took over the upper portion of his body. "No, I can't say I like the fact that the lower half of my bottom is stuck in a solid block of ice…"

She knelt down before the wind god, stuck out her bottom lip, pouting before saying, "You don't like my trick?" She hung her head, her bangs shielding her face from view.

Ryu's eye widened considerably. "No, no, I like it," he reassured her. "I just don't like being half an ice cube. I'm a bit cold." Bit cold was an understatement. The upper portion of his body was freezing, due to the winds whipping against his exposed flesh. The frozen water couldn't compare to the harsh frigid winds and temperature his upper body was dealing with. "But.. wait… you did this?" She lifted her head and looked at him before nodding. "Who… are you?"

A smile graced her face once more, "The name is Kyria, my friends call me Ria, however," the smiled broadened and a mischievous glint came to her eyes before she said, "You can call me beautiful."

"Ok, _beautiful_," he said in a sarcastic manner. "Could you let me go?" He questioned as he began to shiver, though this time it didn't stop and his lips were turning a nice bluish color.

"Yes, I can," she said quickly, that same glint still residing in her eyes. "Though the question I think you're looking to ask is, will I?" She placed her hand to her chin before letting out a soft humming sound that resembled a 'hmm…' She stood up and ruffled his hair, "Sure thing, don't want ya loosing the lower half of you to frost bite now do we?"

---xXx---

Nick was growing slightly more than frustrated as he continued to walk. He hadn't seen one person his whole time on Gagazet and he was beginning to wonder if Hades knew what he was talking about when he said they would be on this Yevon forsaken mountain.

"Alright, I'll go get him…"

He heard footsteps coming his way. He scurried over to the side and carefully slid into a small crevice in the mountain wall. A shadow from the wall was cast over him, completely hiding him from view. He watched in interest as Tidus came into view. He grinned to himself as he spoke softly to himself. "Well, hello Mr. Water God…"

He waited till Tidus was at a far enough distance so that he could follow without being detected. He kept off to the side, just in case the blond decided he was going to turn. Luckily for him, the blond kept his head down as he walked forward, not once glancing back. He followed him for some distance before the blond stopped walking. He started to say something, but Nick was too far from him to hear and there was a rock wall in the way, impeding his view of whom he was speaking to. As stealthily as he could be he snuck up to rock wall, and listened in closely what was being said.

"Well, I must say," the voice of Tidus was cut off by a laugh, "This isn't something you see everyday. A god stuck in a hot spring that's been frozen over…"

'_Another heir…'_ He grinned. This was better than he had expected. At the moment, Gabriella and Hades only wanted, well more like needed, one heir to be taken out. The fact of the matter was that without even just one heir, the elemental heirs wouldn't be able to stop the gods from executing their plans. But, Nick had two heirs on his hands, two that he could kill, possibly making a personal gain in the long run.

---xXx---

He glared at the blond. "It's not funny," he said over the noise of his chattering teeth. "Now please," he gave a pleading look to the girl, "Can you let me go?"

She gave him a sympathetic look before approaching him. She bent down, wrapping an arm under his arm and around his back. She went gave him a slight pull, going to free him from his prison, when an unfamiliar voice from behind her startled her.

"I'd leave him where he is," the voice stated, causing her to turn around quickly, leaving the heir in the ice. Behind her was a tall man. His green eyes were narrowed as he moved the gun that was pointed to the blonde's head in the direction of Kyria. "Move," he instructed.

Shocked by what was going on, she stepped aside, stumbling over her two feet as she did. This was the main reason she had stopped associating with others, besides the fact that everyone thought her attraction to the cold weather was odd, people were crazy and she always managed to make their acquaintance.

"What is going on?" Tidus growled as he tried to pull the man's arm away from his throat. If it wasn't bad enough Sonya had tried, and succeeded, to kill him, now he had some stranger pointing a gun to his head.

"Silence," he said calmly as he placed the barrel of the gun to the blonde's head once again. "I just want to ask you a few questions," he said in an almost friendly tone, something that left the others with an uneasy feeling in the pit of their stomach.

"I'm assuming that's before you kill us, right?" Ryu asked from his icy prison.

"Depends on the answers I get. First," he stated as his gaze came to rest on the brunette girl who was staring on in confusion. "Who are you?"

"Kyria…" she muttered. "And if you're going to ask how I know them… I don't. Met them about fifteen minutes ago."

He nodded slowly before turning towards Ryu. "You." He pointed the gun to him. "You're an heir, no?" He nodded his answer as he ran his hands along his arms. He really needed to get out of there and get some warm clothing on. "I know you're an heir blondie, so… no need to answer." Nick smirked and glanced at the dirty blond. "Well, that's all I needed to know. I didn't want to waste bullets if I didn't have to." He used the handle of the gun and smashed it into the back of the blonde's head, knocking him to the ground.

"Hey!" Kyria spoke up as she stood straight. "That was mean!" She narrowed her eyes and she walked forward.

Nick scoffed and just rolled his eyes. "I'm not exactly the nicest person around here."

"Or the bravest," she mocked. "Attacking defenseless people, you should be ashamed."

He lifted his gun and aimed it for her. "You, little girl, are wearing on my patience. I'm willing to let you go, you have no affiliation with what I have to do," he waved her off with his left hand. She merely moved in front of the dirty blond and crossed her arms. "Don't think I won't hurt you, girl or not, no one stands in my way."

"I'm sorry, I am not going to leave these two here alone and defenseless, so that some _sicko_ can do what he wants with them," she glared fiercely.

Ryu looked at the back of the girl standing before him. She was risking her life for him, someone she didn't know. Not that he was complaining, though if she hadn't showed up he wouldn't be in this position… He shook his head, regardless, she was defending a stranger, that's not something you come across frequently.

"Why are you so adamant about protecting some loser you don't know?" He questioned, his gun not moving from its position.

She cocked an eyebrow and with a smirk remarked, "Why are you hesitating to shoot me?"

His face twitched in annoyance. He was trying to be decent. He didn't want to shoot this girl, but she was pushing her luck and left him no choice. "Fine, I tried to be fair. I gave you a chance, but forget it." He aimed the gun for the center of her chest. "Bye, babe," he said as he pushed down on the trigger. _'Click'_ He looked at the girl, confusion crossing his features. '_What happened?' _He pushed the trigger a few more times, only to get the same result – nothing.

If it wasn't bad enough his gun wasn't working, the smug look on the girl's face wasn't helping either. He cursed under his breath as he brought the pistol closer to his face. He blinked a few times when he found the cause for the failure of his weapon. _'I know its cold… but for the hole to freeze over…?'_

"Having problems?" she asked with a grin.

"Frig it," he scowled as he tossed the gun aside. "Since apparently my fire arms aren't going to work here, I'll do it the old fashion way." His hands reached for something on his waist. When his hands came back into view, each was holding nunchaku. They were black in color and each end of the bar was rounded into a small circular shape with metal spikes sticking out from it.

She smiled sweetly, "Ready?"

"To kill you?" he inquired gravely.

She placed her hands on her hips, "Someone's cocky…"

"Someone is trying to stall," he said as he moved towards. "Enough talk." He jumped at her, swinging one of the spiked metal nunchaku at her.

She bent backwards, allowing the swing to sail over her harmlessly. She smiled, it worked. She had been brought up on the teachings that a calm headed person always won in the end. If you get angry or frustrated, you get sloppy. Now, she just had to get him away from the poor dirty blond she had trapped. She smirked as she jumped back away from the brunette, dodging yet another attack. "You missed," she replied calmly, the sweet smile not once leaving her face.

He growled, he had taken notice that he missed her. He didn't need her to point it out to him. _'Did I get that rusty since I last did this, that a _girl _is out maneuvering me?'_ He stood and walked at her, he needed to calm down, he was getting agitated and the only thing that suffered from that was his concentration. He stalked her out, getting a feeling for her movements. He found it odd that she kept smiling, and not once did she pull out a weapon. As far as he could tell, she didn't appear to have any.

"My turn?" she asked with a grin as her hands traveled around to behind her back. "Ok, then," she muttered as she quickly pulled her hands back into view. Nick's eyes widened, how had he missed those? In her hands were two long, wavy pieces of sharp metal. She put a foot forward and pushed off the ground as she brought her right arm, weapon in hand, for Nick's head.

He jerked his head back, missing the attack, but barely. She was a quick mover, he had gathered that from the beginning of the battle, but he had never expected her to be this fast. He had all he could do to avoid the hits, never mind attack back. After a while of remaining solely on defense, he thought he caught onto a pattern of some sort. But as soon as that happened, it quickly disappeared when she switched it up by pushing up off the ground and dealing a swift kick to the middle of his chest. He exhaled sharply as he stumbled back. He definitely hadn't seen that coming. _'This is ridiculous…'_

She grinned as she watched him try to catch her breath. She herself was slightly winded, but she was more than capable of continuing. "Alright, _babe,_" she said with a smug expression, "I'm giving you a chance to walk away alive…"

He didn't respond, he was slightly bent over and he sent a glare in her direction. And almost too fast for her to notice, he pulled a dagger from his pocket and flung it at her. She managed to jump out of the way so that she didn't get a bad wound, but the blade grazed her arm. "Son of a…" she trailed off as she glanced at her arm, blooding was dripping down, staining the white sleeve of her top. "This was my favorite sweater, you jerk."

Ryu had to smile, her arm had just been sliced open and here she was upset about her sweater. She wasn't an amateur in fighting, that's for sure… unless this guy was just that bad, though he doubted it.

She jumped at him, her happy expression faded into one of a more serious nature. She had originally expected him to give up and leave, as stupid as that may sound. But, the way he hesitated to shoot her, and how sloppy his formation was, she figured he'd rather not risk his neck and run, but she was beginning to realize that he wasn't going to do that. She brought her left hand upward tilting it ever so slightly to the right, moving with Nick, so much so that it managed to clip his ear. He jerked his head out of reaction, which left him open for another attack. Using her right arm, in a windmill motion, she brought it down, dragging the sharp blade across his shoulder.

He yelled out in a mixture of surprise and pain as he stumbled back, flinging one of his nunchaku at her. One end of the metallic weapon lodged itself in her lower thigh, while the other swung past her leg, forcibly ripping the weapon from her skin. She bit her lower lip and closed her eyes as she tried to control the pain. _'Concentrate it into something else…'_ she told herself as she reopened her blue eyes and glanced at the brunette who at this time had pulled out another gun. _'Where the hell does he keep all this stuff?' _She cursed as she rolled out of the way of a few rounds. Once she was able to regain her footing she flicked both her wrists in a downward formation and the two steel bars she had turned into two steel fans. She moved the fans extremely fast, blocking the bullets that were traveling towards her, and though she was well trained with these weapons, the pain in her arm and leg were beginning to distract her and making the task at hand that much more difficult.

Nick looked on in awe as he watched her expertly maneuver the weapons reflecting each one of the bullets. Though he heard a lot of about this, this was the first time he had actually seen someone use steel fans as weapon. He had to admit, she handled herself well, better than he had expected, but the annoyance was going to end here. He moved closer to her, making Kyria's job of blocking the bullets more difficult. _'It ends now…'_

Ryu watched as the brunette got closer to her. He wanted to call out to the girl, but he feared that if he did that it would be more detrimental that beneficial. He could break her concentration, which could result in something fatal. He stole a glance at Tidus, who was still on the ground. _'That must have been a really hard blow…damn it, it would help if he woke up.'_ He turned back to the fight and was, to say the least, amazed at what he saw, though amazed was an understatement. Kyria had back flipped away from her assailant, which was nothing special, but what she left in her place astonished the wind god. After she flipped back away from the green-eyed brunette, she left a life sized ice sculpture of herself. It happened so quickly that Nick didn't realize he was attacking an ice sculpture and not the girl. _'That's a unique talent…'_ Ryu reflected as he watched on.

Kyria landed in a crouched position on the ground. She lifted her head and quickly threw her hand up, her fingers stretched out in the direction of the brunette. She grinned as the gun was quickly engulfed in a block of ice.

"What the _hell_?" Nick shouted in frustration as he flung the frozen gun over the side of the mountain. Nick's frustration quickly turned to worry as he felt his legs growing cold and found he was having trouble moving them. _'Shit…'_ He quickly pulled open his coat and shoved his hand into one of the many pockets. He whipped out a grenade, grinned and tossed it at the girl, causing her to break her concentration on the spell, setting him free. By the time the grenade had gone off, he was already a safe distance from the place. He'd come back for the heirs, he had time and now… he had unfinished business with that blue-eyed bitch. He had underestimated her this time, but he wouldn't make that mistake again.

Ryu watched in horror as smoke from the explosion engulfed the area Kyria had been in. She had saved him and Tidus, well from that psycho who just tried to kill them anyway, but now… she was gone. Ryu glanced back down at the ice that he was stuck in, this was going to be a problem if he didn't get out really soon.

"Holy crap," an agitated form of Kyria's voice rang out as the smoke began to clear. She glanced around, taking notice that Nick had fled the scene. She made a face before forcibly shoving her weapon back into the fixed position on her belt, behind her back. "He ran because he was loosing…coward…"

"Beautiful!" Ryu called out with a smile. He was relieve to she see was fine, slightly curious as to how she had managed to escaped that explosion unscathed, but relieved none the less.

She looked in his direction before jogging towards him. She bent over before him and quickly pulled him from his icy prison. "You really going to keep calling me beautiful?" she asked, her happy smile returning to her face.

He nodded his head as his body shook. "That was you told me to call you," he reminded her, a sense of humor in his words, regardless of the condition he was in.

She bit her lower lip when she took notice of the condition he was in, his skin had paled considerably, his lips were a bluish-purple color, and he was shaking uncontrollably. She quickly rushed him his dry clothes. She felt horrible for leaving him there. _'Bad, Kyria, you should know better than to freeze people in water.'_ "Sorry bout that…"

"No need for apologies," the wind god reassured her through chattering teeth as he slipped into his warm dry clothing. "You saved my life and his," he motioned to Tidus, "We owe you a lot." He looked at her face, he could see the remorse still lingering in her features. "Alright," he said with a sigh, "You want to make it up to me that badly?" She nodded her head. "Then help me drag him back down to the Ronso village and then I want you to meet my friend, Max."

She didn't hesitate to take him up on his offer. "Ok, but first," she ran back to the end of the cul-de-sac and returned with a powder blue shawl. She motioned for him to bend over so she could put it on him. The wind god refused, telling her she needed it. She narrowed her eyes. "I will ice you to the ground and leave you here if you don't take this shawl."

"Alright, alright, no need to get all Sonya on me," he said as he bent down. "Though Sonya would most likely kill me before she left…" Kyria sent him a questioning look as she wrapped the shawl around his neck and head, to keep as much body heat, or what was left of it, in his body. Taking note of her look, he shook his head and said, "Trust me… you don't want to know, though I think you'll be meeting her soon enough."

---xXx---

A/N: That was Chapter 7, I do hope you liked it, I like Kyria she's awesome. A little innocent in some aspects but she definitely kicks ass. –grins- well be nice readers and review –begs- Please! Ok, well until next time, live, love and party! TooodleS!


	8. Sedna's Heir

A/N: Hey guys! –waves- Guess who is officially 18? –points to self- wo0t! My Birthday was this past Sunday (Feb. 19) and I was tempted to update then, since I've had this written since I posted chapter seven, but then I figured it would aggravate me when no one reviewed.

Yes, for the second time I'm going to "complain" and I put it in quote because I'm not really complaining. Ok I am, but… you'll see. Ok number 1, I got an insane amount of New Reviewers. Special shout out to **MATT! YOU ROCK**! Lol So yeah all my new reviewers are awesome, especially if they continue. – Now my problem. My old reviewers, a whole bunch of you seemingly dropped off the face of the earth with the last chapter. I must say I was utterly appalled when for a week I only had four reviews for chapter seven, now I have seven, but… like I said New Reviewers. Ok well enough of my ramblings. Please review though, I'd love to get some feed back on the newer chapters, I know the old ones are good lol. Thanks!

Disclaimer: I only own Ryu, Sonya, Maximus, Kyria, Nick and any other OCs you may come across. **Heads up this is LONG!**

---xXx---

**Sedna's Heiress**

Trying to lift the water god was proving to be more than difficult between the two blue-eyed people. Ryu was barely able to keep himself up, never mind lift Tidus and Kyria couldn't hold the weight by herself. "We have to wake him… or leave him, but that's kinda mean," Kyria finally stated after several failed attempts to hold the blitzer on her own.

"What are we going to do?" Ryu questioned, his body had stopped shaking uncontrollably, but he still found himself shivering at times. He needed a really hot cup of tea and a warm bed to sleep in. "If he was hurt from the blow to the head before, its only gotten worse with the number of times we've dropped him."

The brunette grinned sheepishly, she wanted to help, but all that muscle in the blonde's body must have made him weigh almost twice her weight and she just couldn't hold him up. "Hold on," she said as she stood from the ground and ran over to the spring, which was yet again a hot spring, and not covered in ice. She bent down by the spring and cupped some water in her hands; she rushed back to the blitzer, knelt down next to him and tossed the water in his face. Tidus coughed a few times before sitting up, smacking his savior with his hard head. "Ouch!" she yelled as she fell back, holding her head.

"Way to go, Tidus. Next time try to move a little faster, maybe you'll give her a concussion," Ryu remarked as he turned to the brunette who was sitting on the ground, her hand firmly placed on her forehead. "You ok?"

She nodded her head as she locked eyes with Tidus, "Next time a simple thank you will suffice."

Tidus furrowed his brow as he glanced at Ryu for some kind of explanation. "She saved our butts from the psycho with the gun," he informed him as another shiver ran down his spine. "Now, can we go… I don't want hypothermia to set in."

---xXx---

After some time, they stumbled into the village. By this time, Ryu was sporting Kyria's shawl and her fingerless gloves. He had originally protested, saying he would stretch them out, he even tried to convince her she needed them more than he, but if his assumption about the girl was right, he very much doubted she needed them. She could probably be walking around in a pair of capris and a t-shirt and would still be warm.

The first person the trio came in contact with was Yuna. She rushed over to the group her expression clearly read she had been worried. "Is everything ok, you took a while to get back here…"

Kyria laughed nervously and scratched the back of her head. "Sorry, that would be my fault…"

"Can we talk… inside?" Ryu asked as a shiver ran up his back for the millionth time that day. "So… cold…"

Kyria glanced at the dirty blond before running her hand along his back. "Yeah, he needs lots of blankets and some hot tea."

Yuna nodded a few times before motioning for them to follow her. She led them into the tent they had been in before they had left looking for the heir. Maximus and Kimahri were already there. "What happened to you, Ryu?" Maximus questioned with smirk. "And I love the shawl, goes great with your eyes."

The dirty blond glared at the angel and went to reply but Kyria beat him to it. "It's my shawl. And it's my fault…" She lowered her head, guilt for having put Ryu in such a position still lingered. She avoided eye contact with everyone as she helped the wind god wrap the blanket around himself.

"No, the only thing you can claim fault for is saving our lives, which believe me… Sonya will hold against you for the rest of eternity," the dirty blond reassured her as he took a seat, enjoying the warmth from the blanket.

"Save your lives? Two gods needed the help of a girl?" Maximus said as he shook his head. "Dios help us, we have more training to do than I expected."

Maximus' words were beginning to get under Ryu's skin. He took a deep breath trying to remain calm, which was proving to be difficult since he felt like crap and wanted nothing more than to curl up in a ball and sleep for a while. "Can we go?" he said calmly as he held the blanket closer to his body. "I think the ice goddess would like to have a tour of the ship she'll be staying on for a while."

Everyone's eyes went wide with surprise and disbelief as they glanced at Kyria, whom had a hurt expression on her face. "That's a little rude," she placed her hands on her hips, taking the term 'ice goddess' as an insult. "I save your life and you call me an ice goddess? I thought I was being friendly… jeez…"

"I thought the power capacity had increased since I was last with you two," the angel stated as he walked towards Kyria. "I didn't think she was actually here…" he reached out and grabbed her arm. Kyria didn't even have to pull her arm out of his grasp because after his skin made contact with her he pulled his had back as a chill ran down his spine. "That's her…" He looked at her and bowed his head slightly before asking, "And your name?"

"Kyria…" she spoke slowly. Confusion was an understatement to her. She looked around giving everyone a wary look as they excitedly spoke about another step in the right direction and being more than half way done. _'These people are cracked…' _She thought as she moved her gaze in the direction of the exit. _'Maybe I can leave without them noticing…'_ she pondered as they began to look at her like she Yevon reincarnate. _'Or… just run like heck…'_ she thought when she noticed the glances.

"Oh my!" Yuna exclaimed as for the first time she took notice to the two wounds the girl had. She had been so preoccupied with Ryu and the fact that she was the ice goddess that she had completely missed the injuries she had. "I can't believe I missed those!" the High Summoner chastised herself and she crawled next to the blue-eyed brunette.

Kyria looked down, she herself had actually forgotten bout the wounds. She was too worried about Ryu, she didn't want him to pass out from the cold on the way back to the village. Yuna quickly healed the wounds and soon enough the only visible sign she had been hurt was the tears in her clothing. Kyria half smiled as she expressed her gratitude. "Thank you." She slowly started to back up towards the exit as she continued to speak, "Well, I must be getting on my way… I just wanted to make sure he got back safely…"

"You can't leave yet," Tidus blurted out, causing Kyria's eyes to widen slightly. He walked towards her, "We need you."

"Well… that's nice… but…" she stuttered as she backed up. She was now at the exit and this was her chance to make a break for it. "BYE!" she exclaimed as she turned and bolted back towards the mountain path.

"Well, go on, Tidus, you scared her off, you can go get her," Maximus said from his seated position of the floor. His arms were crossed and he had a arrogant expression across his face.

The blitzer cursed under his breath as he and his wife ran out after her. "Kyria wait!" he called out to her, hoping she would give him a chance to explain. The girl turned and glanced at them. Tidus smiled, maybe this wouldn't be so hard. Confusion crossed his face though when she crouched down and put both hands to the ground. The confusion was quickly cleared up, however, when the path they were running turned to ice and both he and his wife fell to the ground.

Curious as to how well the chase for Kyria was going, Ryu stepped outside the ten, the blanket still tightly wrapped around him. He was barely able to catch himself when he almost slipped on the ice-covered ground. _'She's definitely a talented one…'_

"Going to help them?" the angel questioned as he stepped next to Ryu.

The wind god gave him a dry look. "Running on ice, is like walking on water – you can try but soon enough, you're going to fall." His expression changed to that of a questioning one, "Hey, why don't you get her? You can fly…"

Maximus shrugged his shoulders, "I want to see where the heirs are capable of. If she escapes… I'll get her."

Ryu turned his attention back to the fleeing brunette who was just getting up. "No need, I'll get her."

Maximus went to reply, to question how he was going to get her when he could barely stand, but that was answered when the winds began to pick up, drastically whipping around the area. It was so sudden and forceful, the escapee wasn't able to steady herself and sure enough she toppled over onto the ice, the wind sliding her all the way back to the feet of Ryu.

Her eyes were wide when she came to a stop at the base of the dirty blond. "Sorry bout that," Ryu said with a small grin. He extended his hand, offering to help her to her feet. When she didn't take it he said, "I want to explain what he meant before you ran off. I don't want you running off thinking I insulted you." Hesitantly, she accepted his hand and let him help her to her feet. "You don't mind if we talk inside, do you? I'm still kinda cold…" She shook her head and followed him into the confines of the tent. "Now… what I was trying to say…"

After a lot of apologizing, a lot of explaining, and a very unexpected flight up into the air that resulted in a lot of high-pitched screams and a few hard hits sent Maximus' way, Kyria was convinced and agreed to help.

---xXx---

About mid-day Sonya strolled out of the bathroom and back into her room, she was hoping that the others would be out all day so she could sleep the day away and not have to deal with them at all. As she crawled back into her bed, she mumbled some curses under her breath as she felt the presence of the others return. "They're back…" she shivered slightly and groaned, "And with the other heir…"

"Sonya dearest, we have someone else for you to meet," Maximus' pleasant voice rang through her room.

She groaned lowly, he just was asking for her to hurt him. She ignored his calls for her and pulled the comforter over her head. She knew he was just being taunting, he could find her in a split two seconds if that's what he wanted, but that wasn't his nature. He liked to play around, aggravating the temperamental angel. Though, he knew better than to come into her room, and if he didn't she didn't have a problem reminding him.

---xXx---

Kyria sat in a chair besides Ryu's bed. The wind god had come down with something and by the time they reached the airship he was so weak that Tidus had to help him to his room. This of course didn't help the heiress' conscience in the least, so she sat by the sleeping wind god's bed.

After some time, the dirty blond stirred. He cracked open an eye and the first image he was greeted with was the smiling face of Kyria. "Oh man, I died…" he muttered gaining a frown from the heiress. "…and went to heaven." He said with a weak smile.

Kyria smiled and shook her head before she went to reply. However, before she got the chance to do that loud shouts and curses from a room nearby were heard. She looked at him questioningly and he pulled the blanket up to his head and muttered, "You didn't meet Sonya yet, did you?"

---xXx---

"What the _hell _are you doing barging into my room like that!" the irate angel screamed as she walked towards him. Her green eyes were filled with anger, but that wasn't the scary part. If you looked close enough, there was a glint of anticipation. She was thrilled he gave her an excuse to hurt him.

He gave her a smile before he said, "Sonya, dear. I waited long enough. It's time to get out, embrace the day… the sunlight." And with those words, he spread out his arms and the blinds to the windows all shot open, filling the room with sunlight. She hissed loudly, throwing her hand into the air, casting the whole room into complete darkness.

Maximus could no longer see the dark angel, which he knew wasn't going to end in a pleasant way. This was her element, she worked best in this and… it was a rare occasion when someone could actually her hit.

He raised his hand, ready to counter her by filling the room with light once again when he felt the pain from one of her dark attacks hitting him square in the chest, catapulting him into the hallway. "In case you forgot what happens when I'm provoked, let me _remind _you," she stated vituperatively as she stepped out into the lit hallway.

---xXx---

Kyria shook her head, she had only heard of Sonya, a few times and everything that was said about her wasn't all that wonderful. She wasn't one to normally jump to conclusions based only on what others said, but she was getting the feeling that they weren't too far off with what the said. She winced when she heard someone's pained cry. "Someone's hurt…"

Ryu nodded slowly, his eyes drooping. "That's the norm when Sonya's around…."

The ice goddess glanced at the door before walking towards it. Regardless of how horrible this Sonya girl sounded, she couldn't believe that no one was out there trying to help whoever it was that was getting hurt. She opened the door, and leaned the upper half of her body out into the hall to glance around.

She jumped back into the confines room, as the angel from Gagazet sailed past the doorway. There was a loud crash followed by a few vulgar terms that echoed through the hallway. The brunette stuck her head back out and turned her gaze to the left, the direction from which the flying angel had come from. Standing there was a petite raven-haired girl, her eyes were narrowed and her fists were clenched.

"And don't _ever _come in my room again," the raven-haired girl shouted down the hall at the injured man before pivoting around and stalking off back into the confines of one of the rooms.

"That, is Sonya," Ryu voice said from behind her.

She half smiled and said, "Well, isn't she _lovely_?"

"Wait till you have to wake her up, she even _more_ friendly," he sarcastically remarked. His voice had gotten louder and he sounded much closer to the brunette than he should have been, which caused her to jerk her head in his direction. Sure enough the dirty blond was out of his bed and standing behind her.

She crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. "Just what are you doing out of bed, mister? You need to rest, or you won't get better." She ushered him back towards his bed, "Now, lay down and relax, from what I gathered from the history lesson before, we're important people and important people aren't allowed to be sick for long."

Ryu smiled before climbing back into bed. She was right in a sense, him being sick wasn't going to help their cause in the least, but he knew that wasn't the only reason she was rushing him back into his bed. "That and you're going to feel guilty the whole time I'm sick…"

"No… ok, well yes, but that's not the point," she stated before taking a seat in the chair she had previously been occupying.

He leaned back on his pillows, finally able to actually enjoy the bed, seeing as how Maximus wasn't in there completely taking it over. "Well don't. If it weren't for you, I'd most likely be dead."

"And if it weren't for me, you wouldn't have been trapped in a frozen lake, leaving you defenseless against a man trying to kill you," she said, refuting his statement.

"Ok, but then you defended me and kept me alive. Therefore, you made reparations for freezing me in the hot spring," he pointed out, refusing to let her feel guilty because he was sick.

"Yeah, but when he told me to leave you there, I did, when I could have easily pulled you out," was her stubborn reply.

Ryu sighed and closed him eyes, trying to ease her conscience wasn't an easy task. "And when you did pull me out, you gave me your shawl, and your gloves to keep me from dying of hypothermia," he stated opening his eyes to look at her.

She crossed her arms and gave a roll her eyes. "I gave you something I didn't need, wow, big deal. It was my fault you were like that to begin with," she shot back.

"Listen," Ryu said as he propped himself up on his elbows. He looked at her sternly, she was just as stubborn as he was and he could tell that later under certain circumstances that could prove to be problematic. "I didn't have to take off half my clothes and get into the hot spring in the first place. In retrospect, it wasn't the brightest idea anyway, getting wet on a snow and ice covered mountain, that was just asking for trouble."

"Doesn't matter," she replied, much to the disappointment of Ryu. "Going into the hot spring and coming out, isn't enough to get you sick. You had dry clothes, you could have made it back to the Ronso village and been fine. No, what got you sick was the fact that I decided to freeze you in there, leaving you there for a while." She returned his stern look before continuing, "Therefore, its my fault your sick, so shush and rest."

"You do know that being sick is better than being dead, right?" he asked, his eyebrow raised.

"And being healthy is better than being sick," she said with a nod.

He groaned. This was pointless, neither of them was going to give in and he was too tired to continue arguing with her. "Come here," he said patting the side of the bed. She gave him a funny look before standing up and moving to the bed. "Sit," he told her, patting the bed again. Hesitantly, she sat on the bed. "Now, come a little closer I want to tell you something," he used his index finger to motion for her to move down closer to his face. She slowly obliged to his request. "Ok, listen carefully…" he quickly lifted his hand and flicked her forehead. "Stop feeling guilty."

"OW!" she cried out as she sat up quickly holding her forehead. "What was that for?" she exclaimed as she looked at him like he was crazy.

He shrugged his shoulders, "You were being stubborn…"

Her mouth dropped open slightly as she started to stutter, "Yeah… well… still…" She closed her mouth and stopped talking, she had nothing to say back to that. So, instead she narrowed her eyes and pinched the upper part of his right arm, causing him to jump and grab the part of his arm she had pinched with his left hand. He sent her a questioning look. She responded with a shrug of her shoulders and a sly grin. "We're even now."

---xXx---

Kyria tossed in bed, she had been laying there for hours and she just couldn't fall asleep. She looked to her left and saw the High Summoner sleeping peacefully. She envied her at that moment. The blue-eyed brunette was exhausted but just couldn't find a comfortable position to sleep in. Yuna had offered to room with Kyria and Tidus with Maximus so that Ryu could have the room to himself, seeing as how he needed to get better and quickly.

The heiress didn't mind sharing a room, but she couldn't stand the fact that she couldn't sleep. She groaned before tossing the blankets off the bed and standing up. Quietly as she could she left the room, she didn't want to wake Yuna. _'Maybe a drink will help… it better help… I'm tired…'_

She trudged down the hall and towards the entertainment room that led to the kitchen. As she entered into the entertainment room she found the room completely dark, with the exception of the light from the television. _'Guess someone else couldn't sleep either…'_ She slowly made her way towards the couch that was facing the television. Seated on the couch was the raven-haired girl from before. She debated mentally trying to strike up conversation, or just walking past her. The decision was made for her when the girl spoke.

"Either move on or say something, staring is annoying," she slowly turned her head and glared at the brunette, "and an easy way to get hurt."

"Sorry," she timidly replied. She didn't say anything else as she continued to the kitchen. Ryu was right, Sonya wasn't the easiest person to talk to. She hadn't said two words to the girl and already her well being had been threatened.

"It's Kyria, right?" Sonya questioned, her gazed once again fixed on the television before her.

She stopped walking and turned back in the direction of the Dark Angel. "Yeah," the ice goddess responded quietly.

"I'm sure you've heard stories about me already, no?" She inquired, still not turning her head in the direction of the brunette.

Kyria didn't know what it was about this girl, but it seemed that everything she said had this underlying threat to it. Like she was daring you to piss her off. "A few," she admitted.

"I figured as much. Being the Angel of Darkness, there are always horrid stories circulating about you, but I can assure you… what you heard, it's not true," She trailed off, leaving the impression on Kyria that she wasn't as bad as they described her to be. Or at least thought that until she turned her head, a smirk on her face and a malicious glint in her eyes. "I'm much worse than any words could ever depict."

Her blue eyes widened considerably as she stumbled backwards towards the kitchen. She didn't reply to the revelation of that tidbit of information, instead she quickly scurried around the kitchen, got a drink, and began her retreat to her room. She wasn't looking to get on the bad side of the angel now, though it didn't seem like she had any side but the one. She was just about to reach the door of the entertainment room, leading to the hallway, when Sonya spoke again.

"Oh and Kyria?" the brunette slowed and turned toward the angel that was seated on the couch. She didn't answer, but she didn't need to because Sonya didn't wait for one. "Next time you get the little dumb ass sick," she turned and locked eyes with the heiress, "be sure it's fatal."

---xXx---

The group had decided the previous night that it would be best to let Kyria run home and get a few things, and to start Sonya and Maximus on their journey of temporarily sealing the temples. Since the brunette heiress lived in Macalania that is where they would start off first.

"Why can't we come and put our part of the seal on the chamber?" Tidus asked, slightly irked that he was being told that he had to stay back on the airship, well him and everyone else with the exception of Kyria, Maximus, and Sonya.

"Because your opposing element isn't present, idiot," Sonya snapped from her leaning position of the wall across from him. She was in an unusually agitated mood, seeing as how it was early in the morning and she had yet to go to sleep. Maximus had gotten up early and found her on her way to her room and informed her not to go to sleep because they were leaving in a few hours. "In order for your seal to be effective the element that cancels yours out has to be here. For you, you need the heir of thunder. For me, its that imbecile," she motioned the Maximus. "Without them, your power is only being wasted." She narrowed her green eyes considerably, daring him to utter one syllable of protest.

He wasn't pleased, but he crossed his arms and dropped the subject. Maximus grinned as Kyria appeared on the bridge. "Well now that we're all here, are you two _lovely_ ladies ready to go?" He extended an arm to both Sonya and Kyria.

The dark Angel glanced at his arm before looking up at his face. "If you want to keep your arm attached to your body, I suggest you get it away from me, immediately." Her voice was eerily calm as she spoke. Maximus slowly moved his arm down and turned to Kyria. Sonya pushed past him and walked out the exit of the airship.

The blue-eyed brunette shrugged her shoulders before taking the Light Angel's arm, following after Sonya. They walked the main path of the Macalania forest in silence, Sonya leading the other two.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Maximus questioned when he noticed the distant look on the heiress' features.

She jolted out of her dazed state she was in and glanced at the Angel. "Just thinking what my parents would say if they heard I was a goddess." She half smiled before continuing, "They'd probably say 'It not surprising, you already acted the part.'"

"Well, you'll find out soon enough, right?

"No… my parents are dead…" She lowered her head. It happened eleven years ago and it still bothered her to talk about it. "They were killed by Sin when I was eight."

"Oh, I'm so sorry," he said quickly. He watched as she merely nodded her head, keeping her eyes on the floor. Sin. He remembered that horrific entity. It was one of the only things that he and Sonya could not destroy; the thing just kept coming back. And as apathetic as Sonya is towards the human race, the fact that there was something taking over her turf did not sit well with her.

"Which house is yours?" Sonya asked abruptly, jolting both Maximus and Kyria out of their thoughts.

Being lost in their own thoughts, they hadn't even realized that they had already diverged off the main path in Macalania and down the smaller one that led to the small village that had recently been built. Kyria looked at the raven-haired girl, her arms were crossed over her chest and she wore an impatient expression. "That one," she said as she pointed to the quaint white house surrounded by a picket fence.

"So it is." Sonya stated as she eyed the house and then the area surrounding it, storing it to memory. "Fine. We'll be back, and we'll meet you here," she walked towards the two brunettes. "Move, Maximus."

"Whatever you say, dearest Sonya," he said as he stepped away from Kyria. "We'll be back." Then within seconds the two disappeared from sight. The brunette blinked a few times, people disappearing on whim that was something that was going to take a while to get used to.

---xXx---

At the edge of the lake where there used to be a path that led to the temple, the two angels reappeared. Sonya shook her head as she glanced into the water, seeing the large ornate building sitting under the frozen water. "And we can't just place a seal on the whole lake… because?" she questioned, her hands placed firmly on her hips.

"Seeing a bunch of entities from the Farplane under this frozen lake wouldn't be something that would send the people of Spira into a panic, not in the least," he remarked as he sent her a dry look. He stepped out onto the ice and walked towards the center of the lake. "A little water isn't going to kill you, and you'll only get wet going there…"

She growled as she followed him. Never mind the fact that she was stuck with Maximus, or that she had no sleep at all, she was now about to jump head first into a pit of freezing water. She could kill that blond imbecile; it was him and his friends that were the main cause for this temple going under. "Let's just get this over with. I'd rather fight two dozen chimera than spend extra quality time with you."

He looked over his shoulder with an amused expression on, "Only two dozen? Oh, Sonya, I didn't think you cared so much." She narrowed her eyes, her hands slowly moving towards the hilt of her blade. "Come now, dearest, the temple awaits," he jumped into the circular hole that was in the ice. She cursed a few times before she too jumped into the water.

The water was cold enough to begin with, but it only grew colder as the two angels made their way further down into its depths. Though, It didn't take long for them to get to the opening of the temple.

---xXx---

Kyria didn't even make it to the bottom of her walkway before she was surrounded by a group of people and bombarded with questions. Her eyes widened as question after question was hurtled at her. She didn't even time to think of an answer before another question came her way.

"Where have you been, Kyria?" said an older looking woman. She had dark auburn hair that curled. Her dark brown eyes were looking at the young brunette curiously as she crossed her arms waiting for a response.

"I went to Gagazet for a while," she said as she tried to walk up the path to her house, only to be stopped with another question.

"And with whom, may I ask?" another woman questioned as she looked at Kyria sternly.

"Myself," she answered with a sigh. She knew what was coming. A speech on how she shouldn't be wandering around alone, and everyone in town was going to pretend to be like her parents. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, waiting for the lectures.

"Ria! You went to Gagazet by yourself?" the first woman shrieked. She stalked up to the heiress. "You were gone for two weeks, and that's where you were?" The brunette nodded her head slowly. "You are nineteen years old, what do you think you are doing gallivanting around Spira alone?"

"Sophia, please. I've been taking care of myself for a while now, a few weeks in a different location doesn't change anything," Kyria explained respectably. She hated these speeches, but she couldn't say anything, they were just concerned about her.

"It was two weeks in Gagazet!" the second woman exclaimed as she came forward. "You can't just go wandering about in the wilderness by yourself!"

"Listen, Patrice, I have gone to Gagazet before and nothings ever happened before, why would it change this time?" She questioned, sending the older woman an inquisitive look.

"You never were one to listen." Patrice shook her head with distaste as she said, "What would your parents say if they knew about this little extravaganza?"

Kyria's eyes widened considerably at the mention of her parents like that. She knew they were looking out for her, but that was completely uncalled for. "My parents would be thrilled that I was getting out and seeing the world, instead of sitting around practicing to enter New Yevon's priestess council." She crossed her arms over her chest as she narrowed her eyes, "They would also say that you shouldn't be pretending to be my parents, and keep your criticisms about their child to yourself." She took a deep breath, trying to gain control over her emotions that were beginning to build up in the pit of her stomach. "Now, if you don't mind, I have to pack. I am going on another trip, and I leave soon." She bowed her head, "Farewell, ladies."

She quickly turned from the group of women sprinted up the pathway to her home. Once inside the confines of her home, she sighed as she buried her face in her hands for a few moments. "Come on, Kyria… you're nineteen… it happened eleven years ago, get over it," she chastised herself as shook her head and walked towards her room to pack. But even that small chastisement did nothing for her. She could still feel the emotion sitting in the pit of her stomach. She missed them, there was no question about it, but why couldn't she accept the fact they were gone? She wiped her eyes quickly as she approached her closet before muttering "Grow up already…"

She was already packed and seated on the couch, waiting for Sonya and Maximus when she heard two voices outside her door. She winced when she heard the amount of vulgarity one of the voices was using. She walked towards the window, and saw the two angels walking up the pathway. Sonya didn't seem pleased in the least, she wore a scowl on her face and every other word out of her mouth was a curse. _'I don't think I've ever heard so many vulgar terms used in one sentence…'_

A slam on her door brought her back from her thoughts. She jumped slightly and swiftly moved to the door, opening it for the two angels. Sonya stepped within the confines of the home. "The temple was wet, cold, powerless, and we got attacked by about 500 _million _fiends," she narrowed her eyes as she continued, "And I think you purposely missed a few of them, so I would be affected by the attack."

"Well, dearest Sonya, don't think I didn't take notice when you punched me in the face claiming you thought I was a fiend," he said a hint of irritation in his voice.

She smirked as she placed her hands on her hips, "Didn't say I thought you _were_ a fiend, I said you _looked_ like one." Her smirk grew as continued to speak, "There's a difference, I _still_ think you look like a fiend."

A scowl now crossed Maximus' face as he looked down at Sonya in disdain. Instead of talking back to the angel, he turned his attention to Kyria who was remotely silent. She had a distant look to her eyes as she stood in between the two beings. "Ria, are you ok?" he inquired as he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Yeah… fine," she shook he head bringing her out of her dazed state. She looked up at the silver-eyed angel. "Can we go now?"

Maximus nodded before looking to Sonya with a questioning expression. Sonya responded to his look with a glare as she walked over to a gray duffle bag that was sitting on the floor. "This yours?" she said as she gave the bag a light kick. Kyria nodded her head. Sonya bent forward, grasped the handle, smirked, and said, "Have fun walking," before disappearing from sight.

The brunette angel grumbled, "She can't be bothered sticking around with others for more than five minutes. Ridiculous."

Kyria crossed her arms over her chest and glanced up at Maximus. "You don't _have_ to walk with me if you don't want to. I'm _fine_ on my own," she irritably spoke before turning her back to him and walking out the front door.

Maximus stood in the center of her living room, with a dumbfounded expression. _'What just happened?'_ He shook free of his thoughts as he ran out after the younger girl. "Ria, _what_ was that all about?" He grabbed her arm forcing her to stop walking.

She turned and looked at him, her blue eyes held a type of sadness in them as she said, "Sorry… I didn't mean to be like that." She turned her head away from him and pulled her arm free.

'_Talk about mood swing…'_ He continued after her. "Are you ok? You went from happy, to scary, to sad, in the matter of an hour." He kept a steady pace along side her as she avoided his gaze.

"Listen, I don't want to talk about it," she said as she looked forward, trying to pick up her pace to get ahead of the brunette.

However, this answer wasn't good enough for the Light Angel. He persisted to pester her, consistently asking her what happened and why she was suddenly mopey. Finally, by the time they reached the bridge of the airship, Kyria had lost her patience, she whirled around and shouted, "You just don't get it, Leave me alone!" She then pivoted around and ran off to her room.

Maximus sighed heavily as he watched her retreating form. He started after her but, Tidus and Gippal who were on the bridge shot the Angel a dirty look and stopped him from following after her. "Maximus, leave her alone you 7000 year old pervert," Gippal remarked as he barred the angel's path.

Maximus looked at the two blondes incredulously. "She's upset about something… she won't tell me, that's what I was going to do." He raised an eyebrow and continued, "What did you think I was trying to do?"

The two blonde's exchanged glances, but didn't say anything. Instead Sonya interceded for them. "They thought you were trying to get into our younger member's pants," she said with a grin. "Though, Maximus, I don't think she's quite that desperate, might want to lower your standards. Better luck next time."

---xXx---

Ryu stumbled out of his room, and stretched his arms over his head. He had slept all day and that was definitely just what he needed. He wanted to thank Kyria who had made sure he didn't need to get out of bed, unless it was nature's call. She had even been kind enough to get him something to eat when he woke up. He shrugged and began his search for the blue-eyed brunette.

He walked out to the bridge where he had the displeasure of encountering Sonya. She narrowed her eyes as he passed and hissed, "What are you doing?"

"I'm looking for Kyria," he said abruptly trying to keep his conversation with the Dark Angel to a minimum.

"Oh," she said in a way that gained a glance from the wind god. She grinned and with a shrug she said, "She's hiding? Hm, well Maximus was trying to molest her before… can't really blame her."

"He did what?" Ryu exclaimed as his eyes went wide. He felt his stomach flip as he thought of the innocent girl being harassed like that. His feelings of worry were dismissed though as he saw Sonya roll her eyes and laugh before walking down the hall, presumably back to her room.

He had now covered most of the airship, with the exception of the personal rooms themselves and the entertainment room and had yet to see Kyria. He furrowed his brow, before walking towards the entertainment room. _'Yesterday I couldn't sigh with out her jumping over to make sure I was ok, and now I can't even find her…'_

The entertainment room was remotely empty with the exception of the High Summoner who was seated on the couch, reading a book. He approached her, and leaned over the back of the couch, "Reading anything good?"

She tilted her head upward and smiled, "_Gone with Chocobos_, its one of my favorites."

He nodded approvingly before he asked, "Hey, Yuna, do you know where I could find Kyria?"

"She said she wanted to be alone," the High Summoner said. Her face contorted into one of concern before saying, "I asked her if she wanted to talk, but… she didn't want to." She sighed to herself before saying, "Anyway, last time I saw her, she was in her room."

"Thank Yuna," he replied as he stood straight. _'Why didn't I check there first?'_ he asked himself as he headed toward the girl's room. Once he reached the room he rapped on the door lightly.

"Yeah?" was the soft reply that came from the other side of the door.

"It's Ryu, can I come in?" There was silence for a few minutes before a muffled, 'yeah sure' came through the metallic door. He walked inside, seated on the windowsill glancing out the window was the brunette ice goddess. She slowly turned her head in his direction and half smiled. "Hey," he greeted as he walked towards her. "Everything all right?" he inquired as he took a seat next to her.

"Yeah… I guess," she indifferently responded, once again turning her eyes out the window.

"Ok, good," he said in a somewhat relieved tone. "I was worried. I woke up before and didn't see you, so I went to look for you… but instead I found Sonya," he made a face before continuing, "I was positive I had done something bad and went to hell."

She smiled half-heartedly when he finished, causing the wind god to wonder if she really was ok. Though he didn't know her well at all, this just seemed out of character for the brunette. "You sure your ok, beautiful?" Ryu questioned as he placed a hand on her knee. "You seem kind of distant."

"It's just…" she paused as she once more turned in the direction of Ryu. He gave her a friendly smile. "Nothing, I'm fine," she finally said gaining a curious glance from the dirty blond. She pulled her legs up to her chest and rested her head on her knees, releasing a sigh from her lips.

"You can tell me if something is bothering you, I don't mind listening," he told her. He laughed softly to himself, "Actually, its probably what I do best."

"Yeah… ok, but I don't want to talk about it," she answered not turning to looked at him. "I'd really like to just be alone. So if you don't mind, can you please leave?"

He crossed his arms over his chest. "And if I do mind?"

"Ryu, please." She buried her face in her hands. She wasn't in the mood to talk to people. She had to get over this herself and having people constantly bothering you about something you don't want to talk about isn't something that helps.

"Nope, sorry. You'll feel better if you talk about it," he said in a matter of fact tone. He refused to budge, until she told him what was bothering her. Whether she told him because she wanted to talk, or because she wanted to get rid of him didn't matter to Ryu, he wanted to help her and leaving her to sit alone in a room wasn't going to do her any good. "And I'm not leaving till you do just that."

She shrugged her shoulders, "Ok, well get comfortable, because your going to be there for a while. This is not something I want to talk about."

She wasn't exaggerating either. They sat there is silence, just staring out the window. They were there until the sun started to set. The sky broke into multicolored layers. The color closest to the horizon itself was a fiery red that faded into an a pale orange that faded into a dim pink before giving way to the darker blue night sky. Ryu half smiled and leaned back against the windowpane. "I haven't seen a sunset like this in… years," he sighed softly before continuing, "Its… nice."

Catching the slight hint of sadness in his voice, Kyria lifted her head in curiosity and looked at the wind god. His eyes were distant and had a sorrowful glint to them. "Why?" Ryu glanced at the heiress, with a questioning expression on his face. "Why haven't you watched it in years?"

"Oh, well… I used to watch them all the time, but," he paused as he moved his gaze back to the sunset, "ever since my sister was killed, they just haven't looked as nice." He lowered his head and muttered to himself, "Freakin' Sin…"

Kyria's eyes widened as she placed her hand over Ryu's. "Sin killed someone close to you too?"

Lifting his head slowly, he looked curiously at the brunette. "Too?"

"Yeah…" she said slowly as she sat back. "I lost my parents to Sin…" She ran a hand through her hair before shaking her head, "It happened so long ago… I should be over it," she sighed before continuing, "…but, I'm not..."

Ryu tilted his head to the left, "Is that why you were upset?" She nodded her head. "Why didn't you tell someone?"

She shrugged her shoulders, "I just feel stupid that it still bothers me. I mean it happened eleven years ago. You'd think that I would be able to mention my parents without getting upset over it…" She frowned, disappointed in herself.

"You shouldn't feel stupid," Ryu said in a serious manner. "You lost two people you care about, it's going to hurt, but by talking about them, it gets easier to accept it, and soon enough even though you still hurt because they're gone, your smiling because of the good memories you have."

She bobbed her head, contemplating his words. "You're right, I guess…"

"You guess?"

She smiled and rolled her eyes, "Ok, you're right." She stood up and stretched her arms over her head, "I don't know about you, but all this sitting, made me hungry."

He grinned as he stood before he extended his arm, "You read my mind." With a low giggle, she took his arm and they exited the room, heading towards the kitchen.

---xXx---

A/N: Ok well I hope you liked this chapter. I was trying to give you a little insight into Kyria's past, though there is more to her than what she let's on. Like where did she live from the age of eight on, til she could live on her own? Okies well, mad props to Rye -hugs him-who is sick (who we allwant to get better!) and napping right now which prompted me to post this. Lol. Review!


	9. Dancing with Danger

Author's Note: Wow, I haven't updated in a while. SORRY! I didn't even realize that a month had passed. I actually had this chapter written when I posted chapter eight. Oops? –smiles innocently- I wanted to have half of ten done, and then I realized that half can mean, a lot… SO, I read over it now and am posting it! AND To make it better this is a REALLY long chapter, I was almost rivaling Ryan's chapters, which is crazy.

I know what you are all thinking, she didn't update because of the lack of reviews. Actually, that wasn't a factor this time. Though… it SHOULD have been. Seven reviews, I'm disappointed in you people –points to non-reviewing people- But this time, it was school, and this new RPG I got into. Which FYI bugged my character so I can't get on, so here is this Chapter. And then there is Omega who checked up on me today to see if all was ok. So that made me go, gee I haven't updated in.. A MONTH O.o

Since I'm sure all of you forgot what happened last chapter (I know I did) He's an update: Ok, it was more of a transitional chapter. We got to know the characters some more. Kyria met Sonya, you learned some things about Kyria, and there were some more character interaction. Not too much happened. Okies! Well Here's this chapter! I do hope you enjoy! Toodles!

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy, but I do own.. The White Palm- haha –smiles-

---xXx---

**Dancing with Danger**

Sonya walked down the hall of the airship. She was wearing a pair of hip hugging jeans with a crimson tank top. The sound of her boots clicking ceased as she stopped outside the door to one of the rooms. She slammed her fist on the door and shouted, "Ryu! Get out here now!"

A few minutes passed before a slightly disheveled looking Ryu appeared in the doorway. He looked at the angel incredulously before saying, "Ok, I know I'm an early morning person, but… why are you up now?"

She narrowed her eyes. "Seeing as how yesterday's little expedition threw off my sleeping patterns, I'm up now," she hissed as a scowl crossed her face. "So, you, Kyria, and I, are going to train."

He stared wide-eyed at the angel. Not only was the fact that she was up and the first person he had the pleasure of seeing that morning still bothering him, but now the added effect that he was going to have to train wasn't doing anything to help the situation. "Why do I keep getting stuck training with you?" he inquired, his arms crossed over his chest. "And what about Tidus, he's a god too, no?"

"Tidus was a guardian, he can fight," she stopped and contemplated her words for a moment, "Well better than you, not to mention his magical skills are next to nothing. Therefore, Maximus grabbed him and they're training now," she explained as she placed her hands on her hips. "As for Kyria, I want to see what she can do." She turned her back to him and walked two doors down from his room. "Deck, fifteen minutes," she snapped before she looked at the door in front of her and pounded on it with her fist.

She waited a few minutes before a sleepy looking Yuna came to the door. She blinked her bi-colored eyes a few times and yawned before saying, "Yes, Sonya?"

"Is Kyria up?" she asked quickly. When the High Summoner shook her head _'no' _she muttered a few curses under her breath before pushing past the half Al Bhed. "Get up, you lazy goddess," the angel snapped as she glared at the sleeping heiress.

The only response the Angel got was a groan followed up with Kyria turning onto her side and pulling the blanket up over her head. Sonya's eye twitched. "I said," she grabbed the corner of the blanket and pulled it off the bed, "_Get up._"

The heiress groaned in protest as she pulled her legs up, curling into the fetal position. She cracked open a single blue eye and glanced at the clock next to her bed. "It's twenty after five in the morning," she said slowly as she closed her eyes again, "I'll be up in an hour."

"No, you'll be up now," the Angel growl as she grabbed the ankle of the brunette and yanked her off the bed.

Hitting the metal floor hard, the heiress moaned in pain. "What is your problem?" she snapped. She was normally a happy person in the morning, but that wasn't exactly a pleasant awakening.

"Training. Fifteen minutes, on the deck." She narrowed her emerald eyes dangerously, "And if you so much as think about getting back into that bed, I will inflict a greater pain upon than you could imagine."

"Alright, I'll be there in fifteen minutes," Kyria muttered as she stood from the ground, rubbing the elbow that had broken her fall.

"Bring your weapon," was the last instruction Sonya ordered before turning around and walking out the door.

---xXx---

Exactly fifteen minutes later, the two blue-eyed heirs stepped out onto the deck. "About time," the angel sneered. "I hope you don't mind bruises, because you're going to have a few when we're done." The two heirs sighed, this wasn't going to be a fun experience.

"Hey, where are your weapons?" Ryu questioned when he took note that both the Angel's blade and her guns were nowhere in sight. "First time we started to train, you said absolutely no magic, or you would 'impale my neck with your blade'," he reminded her.

"I have no intention of using my magic," she replied in a controlled voice that left the two heirs with an uneasy feeling in the pit of their stomach. "I'm not going to use weapons either. I figured I'd at least try to lessen your disadvantage." She grinned as she held up her two hands. "This is you two," she shook her right hand. "And this is me," she shook her left hand.

She watched with a grin as the two heirs looked at her with a confused expression. "Now, this is the difference between us, when I have my weapons," she closed her right hand, "This means you're dead." She held her left hand above her head, and moved her right hand down as far as she could, "This is us when I don't have my weapons."

"And this is supposed to be fair, how?" Kyria questioned. She had to admit, though she had never seen Sonya fight, she had watched her toss Maximus down the hall and she wasn't thrilled that she was going to find out just how tough the angel was.

Sonya laughed, causing Ryu and Kyria to exchange nervous glances. The laughter stopped abruptly and the Angel's expression became grave, "I never said anything about this being fair." She brushed her black hair over her shoulder before continuing, "I could be blindfolded with both hands tied behind my back and you'd still be at a disadvantage."

She walked towards the heirs, crossing her arms over her chest as she stepped. She stopped two feet in front of them, letting her gaze land on Sedna's heir. "Where is your weapon?"

The ice heiress reached behind her back and pulled out the two wavy piece of sharp metal. "Steel fans," Sonya said with a nod, "Exotic. Well… we'll just see how well you can actually use them." Sonya dropped back into a defensive stance and smirked, "I know what that dolt is capable of," she motioned to Ryu with her hand. "Let's see what you can do."

Kyria raised an eyebrow, "You want me to attack you?"

The Angel rolled her eyes, "No, I want you to stand there and stare at me," she said in a sarcastic manner. She motioned for the girl to come at her. When she still hesitated, Sonya snapped, "You're going to regret it if I come at you first."

"Kyria, trust me, you aren't going to hurt her… if you can even hit her. Just go," Ryu told her as he nodded his head.

"Ok…" Kyria said slowly. That was all well and good, but she had been raised on the fact that you don't jump into a fight. Not that she had much of a choice in this situation. She gripped firmly at the two pieces of metal and moved into her own stance. She tried to think of how exactly it would be best to go about this. Charging straight at her wasn't going to work. Sonya had been around too long for her to even attempt that. She shrugged mentally and decided on trying for the _element of surprise,_ or at least she hoped that's what it would be. She opened one of her fans fully and tossed it at the Angel.

Sonya moved her head to the left and watched as the fan sailed past her. She turned her head over her shoulder and watched as, like a boomerang, the fan turned and came back towards its owner. "So you know how to throw it, that's good," she said as she dropped down to the floor, allowing the slash that Kyria attempted, to cut air. "Element of Surprise…" Sonya said as she shot out her leg, sweeping out of heiress' legs from under her, "Interesting…"

Kyria was caught off guard and fell to the ground, landing awkwardly on her back. She winced as her body had made contact with the steel ship. She figured she wasn't going to hit Sonya when she threw the fan, but she was surprised that the Angel had dodged the other attack, and countered, knocking Kyria on her butt.

"Get up," Sonya barked when the brunette didn't make a move to get up.

Kyria rolled back a bit, and using her hands she pushed off the ground, landing back on her feet. However, as her feet made contact with the ground, her chest was greeted with the bottom of Sonya's boot. Kyria stumbled back, bringing her hands up to the area where the Angel's kick had landed.

"When getting back to your feet, don't come towards your enemy," She instructed as she once again stood in her defensive stance. "Now, come at me."

Reluctantly, the heiress ran at the angel, making a slash for her torso. Sonya merely spun to the left, completely avoiding the attack. The Dark Angel then used her elbow as a weapon, jamming it into the neck of Kyria, knocking the brunette to her knees. Sonya shifted her weight as she brought up her leg and dealt a swift, hard kick to the back of ice goddess, slamming her face first into the deck of the airship. She placed her booted foot on the neck of Kyria and made a shooting motion with her finger. "Guess what," a smug smirk came to her face, "You died."

She moved her foot off the ice goddess and step back away from her. "Pathetic," she said with disappointment. She hadn't expected much from the heiress, but she expected a little more. "Go recollect yourself over there," she said before she turned to the wind god. "I hope you were paying attention, because you're next."

"Attention to what? That was barely five minutes…" Ryu observed as he took two Kukris from their sheath.

Kyria moved across the deck, rubbing her lower back as she walked. She had never been taken down so easily, and though she knew she wouldn't last long, she felt kind of stupid that she was taken down in less than five minutes. _'Kinda discouraging…'_

Unlike with Kyria, Sonya didn't give Ryu the chance to strike first. She ran forward, and when she was two feet in front of him, she pushed off the ground, launching herself into the air. She twisted her body so that she would land facing the back of Ryu as she flipped over him. Wasting no time when she landed, she slammed the base of her hand into the bottom of his spine.

Ryu stumbled forward as a sharp pain shot up his back. "Come on, Ryu, you know my fighting style," Sonya said with a grin as she brought up her leg and, as he turned to face her, kicked him in the abdomen. "You should be able to… defend yourself at least."

"Yeah, and that makes it just _oh so easy_," he said as he jumped back, dodging another kick from the unarmed angel.

She shrugged her shoulders as she fell back into her defensive stance. "Come on, Ryu. I'm gonna be _fair_. You come at me." She smirked as she watched the heir give her a skeptical look.

"Oh, you're letting me _run into_ my death… yep, that's really fair," he said as he tightened his grip on his weapons.

"I can't kill you…" she said with bitter resentment. She shrugged her shoulders before saying, "Though no one said anything about maiming you." She smirked, making Ryu wonder if she was serious. But from what he came to know about her, she probably was. "Move, you idiot!" she shouted when he didn't move.

He knew he'd regret this later, but he ran in at her. Instead of moving, when he slashed out at her, she grabbed his wrist and flipped him over onto his back. She twisted his arm, to the point where the shoulder was ready to pop out from its socket. Then with a smirk on her face she said, "You lose." She released his arm and allowed him get up from the floor.

"Well, since you both suck at one on one," she looked between the two heirs with disgust. "Let's try you both at once. Got to be at least a little more challenging than what I'm doing now." She cracked her neck before saying, "You can use your weapons, though if you hurt each other… that's not my fault."

"Don't you mean if we hurt you?" Kyria asked, her hands still placed on her back.

Sonya shook her head, "No. I meant what I said. You don't think you'll be able to hit me do you?" She laughed in a condescending manner when Kyria seemed to actually contemplate it. "You couldn't hit me if my ankle was tied down forcing me to stay in a single place and I was unable to use my hands." She looked between the two heirs and grinned, "Though by all means, do try."

Sonya dropped into her defensive stance. Ryu was beginning to dislike this stance just as much as her running at him ready to stab him with something. No matter how she started the fight, the other person always ended up in some kind of pain and he had a feeling this was going to be no different, if not… it would be worse.

"Well, don't keep me waiting," she snapped. When no one moved she let an exasperated sigh fall from her lips. "Would it make you feel better if I closed my eyes?" She didn't wait for a reply, instead she shut her eyes and said, "Now go, or I'm coming for you…"

The two heirs exchanged a confused glance that was followed up with a shrug. Slowly, so to not cause too much noise they walked towards the angel. They got so close that Kyria was wondering if Sonya really didn't know they were there, or if she was just leading them into a false safety.

That question was answered though when Ryu and Kyria both when to attack the angel simultaneously. When the blade got close that it looked like they might actually make contact with her, Sonya's hand shot out, grabbing Kyria's wrist. As she did this, she leaned down allowing Ryu's attack to sail by harmlessly before she placed her weight on one leg and used the other to kick the wind god.

Ryu stumbled back a bit and watched as the Dark Angel flipped Kyria onto her back. At this time Sonya opened her eyes and looked at Ryu. "Well, that was pathetic."

Kyria winced as she moved; this was going to hurt for a while. But refusing to be taken down so easily, she reached up and grabbed Sonya's hand and pulled down on it in hopes of bringing the angel to the floor.

Sonya, however, had other ideas. She pushed off the ground, flipping forward, and landing back on her feet. She then turned so she was facing the heiress. Tightening her grip on the ice goddess' hand she pulled her up to her feet. Kyria's eyes widened as she watched an unavoidable fist come towards her face, connecting with her left eye.

The ice goddess cried out as she brought her hands to her face, which only resulted in receiving a kick to the abdomen that sent her into the wall next to the door leading back to the confines of the airship. Smiling at her work, she turned towards Ryu, who had 'snuck' up on her.

He took a slash at her head, which she dodged by merely ducking down. She then shoved her fist into his stomach causing the dirty blond to exhale sharply as he bent forward, only setting him up perfectly for the uppercut Sonya delivered on her way back up.

Ryu's head jerked back as Sonya's fist connected with his jaw. He dropped his weapons as he brought his hands to his head. He was sure Sonya had just shattered his jaw, if not she definitely unhinged it.

His eyes widened in horror as Sonya walked towards him, a malicious grin on her face. He had this odd feeling she was going to keep to her word and he wasn't going to be able to walk for a while. In a frantic form of defense, he swung at her. She merely grabbed his wrist and smiled. He prepared himself for some intense pain when he heard the _swoosh_ from the metallic door opening.

Both he and Sonya turned their heads in the direction of the door. Standing in the doorway, mouth ajar, was the Angel of Light. "Sonya! Awake? _NOW_!" He lifted his head to the heavens. "Dios, save me! It's the end of the world!"

Sonya glared at Maximus as her grip on Ryu's wrist intensified. The wind god, however, didn't even have time to react because soon enough he was sailing through the air on a one-way trip towards the brunette angel. Unable to get out of the way, Maximus and Ryu collided, tumbling to the floor in a heap.

Sonya sauntered over towards the meshed pile of flesh. She smirked as she glanced the two heirs and Maximus. "We're done," she said as she stepped over the two males and walked back into the confines of the airship.

---xXx---

"I say we just skip Bevelle… it's not that important," Sonya apathetically remarked from her seated position on the couch.

Maximus smacked his forehead and ran his hand over his face before responding. "Yeah, I mean Bevelle is only one of the most densely populated areas in Spira, but hey we'll just leave them to fend for themselves."

"Exactly, glad you're seeing things my way, Maximus," Sonya replied as she lazily flipped through the stations on the television. Being up so early left her with absolutely nothing to do. She had already beaten on Ryu and Kyria, and Tidus was exhausted from his magic training. This left her with a lot of time, and little entertainment.

"Sonya! You aren't even doing anything. Get up and let's go," Maximus said in a forceful tone that only received a glare from the Dark Angel. Other than the silent threat, the raven-haired girl made no indication she was getting up. "Dios, you are so damned lazy," he muttered as he walked towards her.

As he drew nearer her, she pulled out one of her guns and cocked it in his direction. "Maximus, I will warn you once. You _ever_ refer to me in any other way besides Sonya, I will rip you apart limb by limb before chopping them into little pieces and force feeding them to you with a spork." She turned her head in his direction and lifted both her eyebrows, "Got it?"

"Yes, _Sonya,_" he said, causing the Dark Angel to place the gun back in its holster. "All seriousness, Sonya, we have to do this and this is the perfect time." He sighed again when she didn't move again. "I will leave you alone for the rest of the night if you do this now."

She sent him a side-glance and added in, "And I can stay out all night, and you won't _try _to disturb my sleep tomorrow?" He nodded his head. She grinned as she stood from the couch, "Well then, _move it_!"

Answering any and all questions with, "Get out of my way or I will impale you with my blade," Sonya ushered Maximus out of the airship. However, before they could completely get away, Gippal came running out after them.

"Hey! Where are you two going? You can't just leave like that!"

Sonya jerked her head in his direction, her eyes were narrowed and her hand moved towards the holsters on her thighs. However, before she could take out the pilot of the airship, Maximus took a step forward. "We have to seal the temples." He stepped in front of Sonya who was trying to kill Gippal with a look. "So, we're going to Bevelle."

"Well why don't you wait and we'll all go," the Al Bhed proposed as he started back tracking towards the airship.

"NO!" Sonya shrieked as she shoved Maximus out of her way and shot a bullet at the ground before the blond Al Bhed. "This is not a day of pleasure." She glared fiercely at Gippal. "I will _not _be forced to spend more time with you than I have to."

"Oh, I get it," the one eyed Al Bhed said with a grin. "You and Maximus want some alone time."

"_WHAT_?" The Angel screeched. Instinctively, Maximus grabbed Sonya just as she went to lunge at the Al Bhed. "YOU SICK PERVERT! I'LL KILL YOU!" She pulled her other gun from its holster before rapidly shooting at him.

"Sonya, calm down," Maximus said as he forcibly dragged her backwards away from Gippal.

"Let me go!" She screamed as she swung at Maximus. "I'm going to rip out his remaining eye with my own hands!" She fired another round of bullets at the Al Bhed who was frantically trying to get back to the safety of the airship.

Only when the Al Bhed managed to get back into the airship with only a few wounds from the bullets scraping past him did Sonya calmed down. She turned to Maximus and said, "_Go_." Then with a hard shove, the two were on their way to Bevelle.

"I expect you well keep a low profile in Bevelle, correct, Sonya?" Maximus stated as he started towards the city.

The Dark Angel clenched her fists at her sides. "I am teleporting in, sealing it, teleporting out and being done with it," she told him as she halted her walking procession, a frown on her face.

"Best idea you've ever had," he retorted with a grin before disappearing from view. Sonya rolled her eyes before snapping her fingers and disappearing as well.

---xXx---

Within the Chamber of the Fayth, Maximus awaited Sonya's arrival. A few seconds later, the entire room was engulfed in darkness, blocking out any means of light. When the darkness began to fade and slowly light began to permeate throughout the chamber once more, the silhouette of the raven-haired angel could be seen.

"Took your time getting here, or did you get lost?" the silver eyes angel said with a smirk.

She narrowed her eyes, glaring at the Light Angel. "Shut up, Maximus," she said forcefully before walking towards the hole that was a beacon to the realm of the Fayth. "Let's just get this finished with." The two of them took their respective positions on opposite sides of the circular portal. With eyes closed and arms outstretched they chanted:

_We Combine our powers, to seal this doorway  
__Opposing elements, meshing as one  
__To protect the balance and peace of Spira._

Once those words left their lips, from their hands came a blast of energy. Together the holy magic along with the dark magic meshed. It congregated in the center, eventually expanding until it covered the hole that was the gateway of the Fayth. Both a blinding light, and an overwhelming darkness took over different parts of the room, increasing the power present to an almost unbearable amount. Finally, it died down, leaving an invisible seal on the threshold.

"Well, Sonya, you should be proud," Maximus stated as he let his hand drop to his sides, "This is the first time you've come to Bevelle without incident." He paused as a thought came to his mind, "Though I doubt this is going to be quite as simple with the others."

"I don't care," she snapped as she stretched her arms over her head, stretching her back. "I did it. We're done. I don't expect to see you the rest of the night," she warned before teleporting out of the room.

---xXx---

Nick was posted about thirty yards from the _'HighWind.' _The most activity he took note of, was when he heard a round of guns shots go off along with a string of curses and screaming, but… that's all it was, something he heard not something he saw. He was getting bored; waiting was not his thing. He was a more assertive guy, go in quick, finish the job and be done with it. Finally though, he heard some voices.

"Rikku, if you don't hurry up, I'm leaving with out you," an all too familiar voice resounded through the area.

'_Gippal…'_ The brunette thought bitterly. He smiled wickedly; maybe the day wouldn't be a waste after all. Slowly he took one of his guns from its holster and began to move near the Al Bhed.

"Oh, shush, Gippal," a female voice called out. A moment later the perky Al Bhed Rikku came into view. "We're coming…"

"Sorry!" another female voice called out. "It's my fault… well, no , more like Ryu's fault!" she called out as she dragged the wind heir behind her. "_Someone _is being difficult."

"You don't understand though," Ryu started coming to his own defense, "Every time I go dancing, something bad happens." When Kyria didn't respond he continued, "Last time I almost got my head chopped off!"

Nick grinned, if he could execute this correctly, he could kill one of the heirs, kill Gippal, and get his revenge on that brunette from Gagazet.

"Wait for us," Yuna's voice called out as she ran towards the group, Tidus in tow.

Nick held back a minute. He had to reevaluate the situation. He couldn't go rushing into a fight against six people, four of which he's never seen fight, nor did he know if there were others in the ship that were just running late. Putting the gun back in its holster, he decided he would follow them for a while and when one of they strayed he'd make his move.

He followed them for a while, ending up within the walls of Bevelle. Though this had been one of the most ornate capitals of Spira, the city itself had modernized to a certain degree over the years. Religion still played a huge part in the civilization that was Bevelle, however, the city diverged from it, and more secular buildings had come into existence. Bevelle now had a sphere theatre, much like the one in Luca and even had a small dance club. The club was called _'The White Palm,'_ a classy club with a dress code, and a strict set of ethical rules.

He ended up standing outside the club, stalling a bit so that the others could get situated within. After waiting a few minutes, he walked in and towards the back of the club, taking a seat at a table that gave him the perfect view of the dance floor. He'd wait; they couldn't stay together all night.

---xXx---

"No… I don't want to," Ryu said to Kyria's pleads for him to dance. "You don't understand… I really can't dance…"

The ice goddess rolled her eyes. "Anyone can dance," she told him as she grabbed both his hands. "You do any spastic motion and there you have it- Dancing!" When he still refused to partake in her idea of fun, she released his hands and placed her own hands on her hips. "You're really stubborn. Are you embarrassed, is that it?" She quirked an eyebrow as a small smile crept to her face. "Cause if that's the case…" she shrugged before completely spazzing and moving her body in awkward ways. "Hey look at me! I'm dancing! And it's fun!"

Ryu's took a step back away from the short brunette. He stole a glance at the surrounding people, each of them were sending strange looks to the heiress. "People are staring…" he said slowly, trying to get the Kyria to stop 'dancing.'

"So what?" she said as she stopped. "Let 'em look!" She grinned as she took a step towards the wind god. "But, like I always say 'When the World is watching'" she made a quick gesture to the surrounding people, "'Give 'em a show!'" Then, without warning, she grabbed the dirty blond and pulled him towards her before leading him in her own style of dancing.

---xXx---

Nick placed down the empty glass and groaned. _'These people are freakin' attached at the hip'_ he mused as he watched the three couples on the dance floor. He shook his head as his gaze fell on the dirty blond dancing with the short brunette. _'That's kind of pathetic…'_ he thought as he watched the heir move awkwardly, the smaller girl pretty much dragging him around the dance floor. _'Oh forget this…'_ He pushed the chair back before getting to his feet. _'I'll just shoot them as they return to the ship.'_

He tossed a few gil on the table before moving towards the exit. As he went to reach for the door, it flew open. He pulled his hand back narrowly avoiding having it smashed by the opening door. He was ready to tell the person off for not paying attention to what they were doing, but his words fell dead on his lips when he laid eyes on the girl that walked in. It was the raven-haired girl from Djose. She paused momentarily, lifting her gaze to his face. Emerald and jade eyes locked for a brief second before the girl gave him a small smile and continued on past him. Nick turned his head, his gaze following after the girl. _'On second thought… maybe I will stay…'_

---xXx---

Sonya smiled to herself; she could feel the brunette's eyes on her. She continued walking down the stairs, not once glancing back at the man. Her eyes scoured the area, taking in the _scenery. _

"Looking for someone to dance with?"

She turned her head; standing beside her was a tall man she'd never seen before. Silver hair fell straight til his cheekbone, growing shorter as it continued to the back of his head. His swirled crimson eyes traveled over Sonya's form, giving off the impression his thoughts were anything but pure. She grinned, even if the brunette didn't follow her, there was no doubt in her mind she'd get to have some fun tonight.

"Not looking," she started, causing the stranger to frown. "Found him." She grabbed the front of his shirt and dragged him forward towards the middle of the dance floor, pushing people out of her way.

---xXx---

Feeling a hand placed on his back, the dirty blond stumbled forward as the hand shoved him. Bumping into Kyria, both Ryu and the ice goddess went tumbling to the floor. Quickly rolling to the side so that he wasn't on top of the smaller girl, he immediately began apologizing. "I am so sorry," he stated as she watched the brunette sit up. She placed her hands over her face as her body began to shake. _'Great, I made her cry!' _"I really am sorry! Did I hurt you?" he questioned as he knelt besides her. She took her hands away from her face and glanced at him. She wasn't crying, she was laughing. "What is so funny?"

"You made the funniest face when you fell," she said before mimicking his actions and bursting into hysterics again.

"Glad you find me so amusing," he said as he extended his hand helping the younger girl to her feet. "I was panicking cause I thought I crushed you, and you laugh in my face… that's cool," he remarked sarcastically.

She wrinkled her nose as she smiled broadly. "Sorry, I just thought it was really funny…" she admitted. Taking his wrist in her hand she said, "I've tortured you enough, so I'm going to let you buy me a drink!"

"Alright, sounds … wait. What? You torment me, and I have to buy you a drink?" the wind god inquired with a raised eyebrow. She smiled again as she nodded, pulling him off the dance floor.

---xXx---

Sonya frowned, this guy was pretty much going straight to trying to get into her pants. Now, she didn't care, less attachment the better, however, this guy didn't even give her his name and she was pretty sure that, at this time, there wasn't a part of her body that hadn't been explored by this guy's wandering hands.

She grabbed his wrist as his hand traveled down her torso. "You know, I'm kind of thirsty." She turned and looked at him. "How about getting drinks?"

He nodded slowly, before running a hand through his silver locks. "Sure, that sounds good." He stuck a hand in his pocket before taking out a wad of gil. "Here, get me something too," he placed the money in the Angel's hand.

She raised an eyebrow. _'Is this guy for real?'_ "Sure thing," she said as she walked off in the direction of the bar. Once she passed by a group of people, she stuck the money he gave her in the pocket of her jeans and went off in search for someone else to dance with.

---xXx---

Nick cursed mentally, he had lost sight of the girl, not that it mattered much anyway, she was with another guy and they appeared to be having a _grand ol' time._ He groaned; this just wasn't his night. He's lost the raven-haired girl, and no one in Gippal's group was ever alone. He was about to call it quits again when a strange voice resounded to his left.

"Watching others dance isn't exactly my idea of fun, kinda stalkerish if you ask me…"

Turning his head, he was slightly surprised to find the raven-haired girl. She wasn't looking at him; she was staring straight ahead, her eyes combing the crowd.

"And staring is kind of rude…" she continued as she turned her head in his direction.

"Oh… yeah, sorry bout that," he said with an embarrassed grin.

She raised an eyebrow and half smiled at the embarrassed look on the brunette's face. "Regardless," she said as she flipped her hair over her shoulder, "I'm Sonya." She extended her hand, waiting for him to introduce himself.

"Nick," he said as he took her hand, bringing it to his lips and placing a gentle kiss on it. "It's a pleasure." He stole a quick glance at the dance floor before looking back at Sonya, "Well, I assume since you don't like watching people dance, you like to actually dance."

"You're a swift one, come up with that all on your own?" she said with a smirk. "Yeah, I happen to like dancing," she reassured him. Depending upon on reaction would determine if she hung around, she'd already wasted enough time on that other idiot; she wasn't going to do it again.

"Yeah, I'm pretty good like that," he said with a smile, taking her words as a joke. "Now, would you like to dance?" She tilted her head to the left, pretending to contemplate his offer. After a few short moments she smiled and nodded. "Great," Nick said as he took her hand and led her off to the dance floor.

"A little enthusiastic?" she asked with a grin as she allowed him to pull her along.

"Maybe…" He looked over his shoulder with a grin, "Why afraid you can't keep up?"

She scoffed at his words. "I can go as long as you and more," she said with a smug smile on her face.

He stopped walking, turning to look at the short raven-haired girl. "You know, most girls say that … and then I find myself sadly disappointed after the first fifteen minutes," he replied with a look that indicated he wasn't referring to dancing.

Sonya returned the look before moving closer to him. She grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled his face down to her level. "I'm not most girls," was her sultry replied before she flicked his ear with her tongue.

He closed his eyes and smiled inwardly, she had found his 'weak' spot. He wasn't hard to please, but if a girl wanted an automatic turn on, a little nibble on the ear would do the trick. He grinned at her as she released his shirt; he only hoped that he'd get to see just how long she really lasted. Placing a hand on her hip, the two started to move to the music.

Nick was in for a pleasant surprise that night. Seven thousand years and Sonya had managed to pick up some of the most exotic, not to mention erotic dance moves known to Spira. She moved her body in such ways that could send a guy into ecstasy, a fact Nick was finding out about first hand. Nick grinned, he didn't know Bevelle as well as he knew some other cities in Spira, but he was sure he could find some motel that would cater well to his intentions.

---xXx---

"Having fun?" Tidus questioned cheerfully as he approached Kyria and Ryu. The two blue-eyed heirs nodded their heads 'yes' as Tidus and Yuna took a seat across from them. "So, what are you two up to?"

"Well, we were getting drinks and talking, but then we saw Sonya… so now we're trying to categorize her dancing," Ryu explained slowly as he motioned his hand in the direction Sonya was.

"It started out as dirty dancing, but…" the ice goddess trailed off as she wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"It's gone far beyond that," Ryu finished for her.

Yuna strained her eyes to get a better look at Sonya and her dancing partner. "Whom is she dancing with?" she questioned.

"No idea," Kyria responded as she took a sip of her drink. "Can't see his face. Though I must say he isn't having much of a problem keeping up with Sonya's dancing." As much as the brunette was disgusted with the moves the Angel was performed she was enticed by it as well. Sonya could move her body in ways she didn't think was possible; it was almost hypnotizing.

Tidus was the first to snap out of the 'trance' as he shook his head and said, "Are we going to spend the whole night watching her? We can do this anytime of the day in the airship."

"Yes, but this is the only time we can do it without her threatening our well being," Ryu said with a smile and a nod. Everyone smiled at his words, not because they were funny, but because they were true.

"Well our well being may be safe… but it looks like someone's heading for the danger zone," Kyria pointed out as she drew everyone's attention back to the dancing Angel.

Storming towards the dancing couple was a silver haired man that didn't look pleased in the least. At first the heirs thought he was going to pass by Sonya, but he didn't he stopped behind her and grabbed her shoulder, turning her around to face him.

Ryu grimaced as the man touched Sonya, "Poor guy, doesn't know he just sealed his fate…"

---xXx---

"What do you think you are doing?" the man sneered as he shoved Sonya, knocking her back a bit. His crimson eyes were narrowed as he glowered at the Angel and Nick. "I give you money to get drinks and you just ditch me?"

Sonya raised an eyebrow and sent the man an innocent look as she replied, "I'm sorry. Do I know you?"

He scowled, "Don't play stupid. You think I don't know what you little bimbos are all about?" He grabbed her wrist, "If you want my money, you're going to make it worth it for me." He turned and tried to pull her off the dance floor.

Nick quickly wrapped an arm around Sonya's waist and her held in place. "Hate to break it to you, but she's _not_ going anywhere." He narrowed his eyes, silently daring the man to object.

The man turned his head in Nick's direction. "No worries, you can have the little slut," he looked over Sonya with disdain as he continued, "back when I'm done."

Sonya had barely opened her mouth to respond, when she felt the presence at her waist disappear and she had the enjoyment of watching the silver-haired stranger go sprawling to the floor after Nick's fist connected with his jaw. "I don't know who the _hell_ you are, and I don't care, you do not talk about a lady like that." He crossed his arms as he stood in front of the Dark Angel.

The man stood from the floor and glared at Nick as he wiped the corner of his mouth on the sleeve of his shirt. "Fuck you, man. She owes me 500 gil and I'm getting it from her, or I'm carving it out of you," the crimson-eyed Al Bhed said menacingly as he brandished a small dagger from his pocket.

Nick smirked. A dagger? He'd fought against people with a katana unarmed; this guy really had no idea what he was getting himself into. "I'm waiting," he said as he uncrossed his arms, letting them hang freely at his sides.

The Al Bhed didn't even respond before he came at the brunette. He made a stab for Nick's stomach, but the attack never connected. Nick grabbed his wrist and pulled it up in the air, then with his right fist he punched the silver haired man in the torso. Exhaling sharply, the stranger dropped the dagger and bent forward, only to have his face connect with Nick's knee. The Al Bhed stumbled back a bit, his hands covering his nose.

"You… you'll regret this," he exclaimed as he used one hand to point at Nick and the other to cover his nose. He staggered back a bit before continuing, "I'm not through with either of you!" He turned from Nick and Sonya and took off into the crowd.

"Oh… my hero," Sonya cooed as she snaked an arm around his waist. She smiled as the brunette wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She wasn't one to let others do the fighting for her, but this time it could play to her advantage. "How could I ever _repay _you," she spoke in a soft tone as she ran her hand down his chest.

"I'm sure we could think of _something_," he said with a grin as he looked down at Sonya.

"What say you to ditching this place?" she asked as she used her index finger to trace a line along his collarbone. Nick didn't even vocalize his thoughts, he just grinned, nodded his head and then together they made their way out of the club.

---xXx---

"Did you see that?" Kyria asked as her mouth fell slightly ajar. She couldn't see the whole fight from where she was positioned, but from what she saw the guy that touched Sonya got his ass handed to him by whoever was with Sonya.

Ryu shuddered, he didn't know what sparked the fight, but this guy seemed to be just as violent as Sonya. "You don't think he's as bad as Sonya, do you?"

"I don't think anyone could be as bad as Sonya," Tidus voiced. He shivered as another thought pass through his mind, "Or at least… I hope…"

"Uh oh," Kyria said slowly as her head moved slowly to the left. "Looks like the streets of Bevelle have become a dangerous place… Sonya just left."

---xXx---

Nick and Sonya took to the streets of Bevelle. With an arm still draped around the dark haired girl, Nick's eyes scoured the buildings for a sign that would help him find what he was looking for.

"Hey, you two," a strange voice called out, catching the attention of Sonya and Nick, pulling them away from their current tasks.

"What?" Sonya snapped as she turned around to face the stranger. She smiled to herself, behind her was a group of five men, one of which was the man from the club. The silver haired Al Bhed stepped forward with a smug expression on his face. _'I bet he thinks I'm afraid of his little goons or something.'_ "I'm sorry," Sonya apologized with a smirk, "But… I don't associate myself with _girly_ men."

The Al Bhed frowned as his eyes narrowed. "We'll see who is girly when we're through with you." He took a few stepped forward as he continued to speak. "I told you I wasn't done with you two," he growled. He made a motion with his hand and the other four men stepped up along side him. "I'm going to get my money back- or something equivalent to it."

"Ass kicking for five should make it even right?" Sonya said with a hint of malice as she shook free from Nick and stepped forward. She frowned, "Though me against five doesn't seem exactly fair." She paused momentarily before continuing, "You sure you don't want to get more people to help you?"

The group of five men exchanged looks before laughing out loud. "I'll get her," the crimson eyed Al Bhed stated as he eyed the Angel, "You take the other punk."

Sonya placed a hand on her hip as she watched the four men walk past her in Nick's direction. "You know," she said pausing the men's actions. "I think you may want to rethink that move." She grinned as she heard the men behind her share in a laugh. "Good, good. Laugh… because you won't be able to do it in a few minutes."

She jumped forward in a downward motion, placing her hands on the ground. She pushed off with her hands, launching herself into the air. Twisting her body, she went to flip over the silver haired stranger. Grabbing the man's shoulders, she brought the lower half of her down, _fast_, slamming her knee into his spine, ultimately knocking him face first into the ground. Landing on the man's back, Sonya smiled as sweetly as she possibly could, and glanced at the other four men. "Next."

Nick quirked an eyebrow as a grin spread across his face. _'Damn… just like a rose; beautiful, but dangerous.'_ He cracked his knuckles as he moved up, _'Man, tonight is going to be fun.'_ He took another step forward before slamming his fist into the back of one of the men's neck, thus starting the fight.

Sonya jumped into the air, swinging her leg into the abdomen of the shortest of the four men. He grabbed her foot as it was about to make contact and swung her around, tossing her through the air, towards a brick wall. Twisting around, she hit the wall feet first. She pushed off the wall, launching herself at him. After slamming into the man, she used the momentum she had to push off his chest as he fell, keeping herself in the air. She flipped through the air again, and pushed into another man that was fighting Nick with her feet, and flew back at the taller of the two men she was fighting.

While sailing through the air, Sonya pulled out her Twins of Turmoil, seemingly from nowhere, then pulling them up, she aimed for the thug's head. She grinned as she pulled the trigger, sending a bullet through his forehead. The force from the bullet shattered his skull, killing him instantaneously.

Finally landing on the ground, the Dark Angel held up her guns and glanced towards Nick. She smiled as she watched him completely dominate his side of the fight. _'Well, he can certainly handle himself well in a fight,'_ she mused as she watched the brunette elbow one of the two men her was fighting in the face. The man stumbled back away from him, his face covered in a mask of blood. He looked around and saw that it was no longer just one of the gang members down, but three. He moved him gaze over to Sonya, who waved one of her guns at him. Eyes wide, he turned his back to the fight and fled from the scene. _'Idiot…'_ Sonya thought as she shook her head.

She turned her attention back to Nick who had taken care of the remaining assailant. _'Well at least he's better than the heirs… especially that idiot, Ryu.'_ She put the twins away and jogged over to the brunette. "Well that was-" her words were cut off when the sounds of approaching people echoed through the streets.

"Cease and Desist!" A man stepped forward from the shadows. He was clad in a green and blue outfit and was accompanied by three other men, all wearing the same thing.

"The Yevon Police," Nick said in a hushed tone.

'_Shit…' _Sonya had already had quite a few run in with the Yevon Police, actually she wasn't a welcome person in the city of Bevelle, or at hadn't been for the past few thousand years. Now, normally Sonya would just kill the officers, disappear, or both and be done with it, but she didn't want to chase Nick off, not yet anyway. She pulled her guns from their holsters and shot out all the streetlights. Taking Nick's hand in her own she shouted, "Run," before taking off down the street.

After running for sometime, the Angel pulled Nick into a dark, narrow alleyway. Pushed up against Sonya, Nick took a few deep breathes before looking down at the Angel's silhouette. He grinned, she was an awesome fighter and extremely agile. _That was a definite turn on.'_

Sonya moved her gaze up to Nick's face. She half smiled at Nick's contemplative face. _'He is definitely thinking some 'naughty' things.' _She moved a hand up to the back of his neck and before he even had a chance to react she pulled him down into an intense kiss.

It took him a second to recover from the initial shock, but soon enough his arms were around her and he was returning the gesture enthusiastically. Moving his hands down her back he finally rested them on her butt and pulled her closer to him, lifting her off the ground in the process. Reacting to his actions, she wrapped her legs around his waist.

The kiss was long and passionate, neither of them breaking apart for even a brief moment. The movements lacked passion, making them purely lustful. Slowly tilting her head back she muttered, "Wait…" Nick pulled back a bit and looked at her curiously. She caressed his cheek with her hand before whispering, "Let's go somewhere more private," slowly she slipped her hand into her pocket, only to pull out the five hundred gil the silver haired man had given her before. "My treat…"

---xXx---

Author's Note: So there you have it, another rendition of Elemental War! I hope you like it, and if some things are like "What the hell just happened?" I know… I did that on purpose. This is a set up for this to come in later chapters and… stuff. Okies, well now I'll just say that I would really appreciate it if you guys reviewed. Because when I get A LOT of reviews, I feel bad if it takes too long and I tend to work a little harder, if not, then… see ya when I see you… Toodles!


	10. Secrets of a True God

A/N: Well, I'm back… and not particularly pleased. –glances at number of reviews- Five. Five reviews. That's pathetic, and quite frankly I'm kind of pissed off. I do like to hear what you people say, and getting next to no feedback is kind of discouraging. I do have a busy schedule in my life, seeing as how I have college coming up and I finally sent in my answers. I am going to college, on full scholarship, by the way. So I am busy. I have graduation coming up, and AP Tests and Finals, but I still manage to work hard and get chapters out for you people. But if the response I'm going to get it nothing, then I'm not going to bother. If I get a chapter out, I get it out. Though I must warn you, last time I became lax on updating, I grew tired of the story and it died. So, whatever… doesn't bother me. Like I said, I have other things to do. I mean jeez, even if you don't like something, tell me! It's response I only get better with criticism.

Since the review number was sad, I posted half a chapter. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own the plot and the OCs but that's it! Oh and I own anbu713 mwhahah

xXx

Secrets of the True God

Maximus walked down the long main hallway that led to Dios' office. His hands were in his pockets as he admired the hallway. _'7,500 years plus and I never realized how proportionate this hallway is…'_ As he thought about it, he realized this entire world was very proportioned; there was no overabundance of one color or really anything for that matter. _'Odd…I never noticed that before…'_ He shrugged it off as he neared the door to his office. Rapping on it lightly he thought about what to say to Dios.

A few minutes passed before the doors opened, revealing a slightly irked Miguel. "Hello, Maximus," he said with a sort of bitter resentment as he opened the door wider, allowing entrance to the Angel.

Maximus raised an eyebrow, since when had Miguel had any type of animosity towards him. "Everything alright, Miguel?" The messenger scoffed and walked passed the angel, leaving Maximus slightly confused. _'Right…'_ He stepped into the room and glanced around, Dios was seated at his desk. His head was placed in his hands as he let out an aggravated sigh.

"Maximus, please, come in. Sit," Dios said as he removed his hands from his face, glancing at the Angel of Light. The creator's eyes looked weary as he ran a hand through his raven colored hair. He shuffled a few pieces of paper together as Maximus walked towards the desk, and sat before him. Quickly smiling, eliminating any look of exhaustion, he asked, "So, what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

The Angel looked at the older man for a few minutes. Dios' weary look hadn't been overlooked by him. "I came to update you on our progress," he said as his eyes scanned over Dios. "Though I wonder, is there something you wish to tell me?" The angel questioned, his silver eyes wrought with concern. The Raven-haired creator seemed hesitant to divulge what was bothering him. "Sonya and I cannot help you if you keep us in the dark. What's going on?"

"You have less time than I had originally anticipated," he started slowly. He didn't know how to continue what he needed to say. He wasn't sure how he was supposed to tell them, that he was unsure of how longer he would be able to hold Gabrielle and Hades off and that they were going to have to work quickly and diligently to find the other heirs.

"And by less time you mean?" Maximus questioned as a leery feeling washed over him. They hadn't had much time originally and now they had even less time?

"That I am unsure of, however, the sooner you find the heirs, the better… for everyone," Dios told him as he began to shuffle together some of the papers on his desk. He shoved the papers in the top drawer and glanced at Maximus. "It is imperative. We are pressed for time right now and we have _no_ room for mistakes."

The angel was getting the impression that Dios was leaving some things unsaid. "What brought about this change in time?"

The creator appeared to hesitate before answering, "The factors that we expected to cause delays fell through, it seems that they are more diligent than anticipated."

Maximus looked at his creator. He didn't doubt those things affected it to some degree but that shouldn't cause that big a difference. "That's all?"

The raven-haired man nodded. "So, Maximus, anything you wish to discuss with me? How are you progressing?"

"Fairly well," he admitted. They had already found half of the heirs already and only needed to find three more. "We have half of the heirs, though their degrees of experience vary. Tidus' melee skills are exceptional from the pilgrimage, his magic, however, is coming along slowly… very slowly. Ryu, the wind god, can fight and use his magic to a certain degree, but its nothing compared to the ice goddess. Kyria is more in touch with her powers, there's no doubt in my mind that she was trained before we met up with her. Regardless of this though, none of them last more than four minutes with Sonya."

Dios smirked as he listened to Maximus' report. "I would expect as much. Sonya is talented," a small laugh escaped his lips before he continued, "And far from lenient."

The Angel nodded before continuing. "Though, I wonder how much longer Sonya's temper will keep in check." He rubbed the temples of his head. "She tried to kill Gippal, _has_ killed Tidus, she's made a _few_ attempts on the wind god's life, and she doesn't seem to like Kyria either."

"She doesn't particularly _like_ anyone," Dios stated calmly. Anyone who came in contact with Sonya knew that, it was a well-known fact throughout Diroho and most tried to keep her appeased. "Though, if her temper gets out of control, I'll take over. As for now," he locked eyes with the Angel, sending him a warning glance. "Don't intentionally antagonize her. She's irritated enough being stuck with humans. Goad her on, and you'll suffer the consequences as well." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before standing. "Now… I have to go."

"But, wait I-" he trailed off when he realized the creator had disappeared. "For the love of Dios," he muttered as he stood and stalked out of the room.

---xXx---

Nick's eyes shot open as he looked around the room. It was still dark. He looked over to the right where a small table was positioned. _'Five AM, all right. I'm good. I can sneak out now.'_ He stood up from the bed and moved around the room. He blindly groped around for his clothing, hoping not to wake the slumbering girl.

Slipping into his pants, he stole a glance at the bed to see the girl once more before he left. However, as his gaze landed on the bed, it landed on an empty space. _'Oh shit… she's up…'_ He jerked his head in the direction of the bathroom. He cleared his throat before saying, "Baby?"

When there was no answer he walked over toward the bathroom. Slowly, he peeked his head into the doorway. "Odd…" He placed his hand on the wall and felt around for a light switch. Flipping the switch on, he soon realized that the room was completely empty. The girl's clothes were gone, and so was she. _'I was… used?'_

"Wow, that's a first," he voiced aloud. Shrugging his shoulders, he moved about the room in a more relaxed way, grabbing the articles of clothes that were scattered around the room. Finally finished, he took note that his coat was missing. "What the hell?" He crossed his arms and scoured the room with his jade eyes. "Frig it," he muttered as he turned and walked out of the room.

As he was walking by the front desk, a young woman called out to him. "Excuse me, sir, did you just come from room 103A?"

Nick turned his head slowly and looked at the receptionist for a few minutes before nodding. _'Tell me she left without paying. That would be my luck…'_

"A woman left this for you," she held out a sealed envelope. On the front in cursive writing was his name. Absentmindedly, he took the letter, muttered his thanks and continued outside. As he was walking, he slipped his hand into the seal and broke it open, taking the letter out.

_'I don't normally leave notes, but it was a bit brisk this morning when I left so I "borrowed" your jacket. Well thanks for the pleasurable evening. Farewell._

_Sonya'_

Nick's expression was caught between a grin and a frown. Sure last night was fun, and she hadn't been exaggerating when she said she could go as long as him and beyond, but she had left him, and not only did she ditch him, she took his coat with her.

After a few minutes of pondering the situation, his grin grew. This just gave him an excuse to see her again.

---xXx---

Sonya's room was engulfed completely in darkness for a few brief moments before the Angel appeared in the center of the room. "That was fun," she reflected as she tossed her newly acquired jacket onto her bed.

She pursed her lips as she pondered about her actions before she left the inn that morning. She was going to teleport from the hallway, but for some Dios forsaken reason there were numerous people congregated in the hall, so she was forced to walk out of the building. This wouldn't have been a problem had the woman at the front desk allowed her to leave. Something about him worrying and she should leave a note. "Stupid humans," she growled as she stepped over towards her bed.

Stretching her arms over her head, she yawned, her fatigue catching up with her. Not only had she fallen asleep later, but she'd gotten up early as well. "I pity the poor fool who disturbs my sleep," she said with mock emotion as she dropped onto her bed, curling up next to a pillow and falling asleep.

---xXx---

"Ahh!" Kyria cried out as she held her hand up to block the light that had flooded the room. "Brightness!" she said as she placed her head on the table and covered her head with her hands. When the light died down, the ice heiress lifted her head slowly, her eyes narrowed. "Could I maybe get a warning next time, Max?" she questioned as she laid eyes on the brunette Angel.

Maximus glanced at the heiress and grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, Kyria." He turned from her and walked towards the kitchen exit. "Oh… I'll give you a forewarning about this," The angel said as he stopped walking and looked over his shoulder. "If you hear a lot of cursing along with some gunshots- grab the heirs and hide."

Kyria raised an eyebrow and nodded slowly. "Thanks, I'll keep that in mind."

With that, Maximus continued on his way towards the Dark Angel's room. He could wait to tell her, but, like Dios said, they were pressed for time. Not to mention, Sonya seemed to have a way with words and always managed to get the information needed and he wanted her to speak with Dios because he knew the creator was leaving things out.

Sighing, he lifted his hand and pounded on the door. _'Five, four, three-'_ "Whoa!" he exclaimed as the door flew open and a gun shot sailed by, narrowly missing his head. _'She got faster…'_

"Maximus, did you not say that you would not disturb me today?" she growled as she re-aimed her gun. "What the hell do you want!"

"I want you to go speak with Dios," he said as he readied himself to jump out of the way of another bullet.

Raising an eyebrow she spoke bluntly, "No."

"Why," he persisted, letting his guard down momentarily.

"I don't do what you want me to do," she snapped as she pressed down on the trigger of her gun, sending another bullet at the Angel. This time, however, Maximus wasn't so lucky. The bullet clipped his ear as he jerked it to the left, trying to out maneuver the speeding piece of metal. The bullet then slammed into the wall, sending a tremor throughout the airship.

The motion of the ship caught the attention of everyone on board. Slowly, the other occupants began to appear in the area. Yuna was the first to make to the area. "Max!" she cried out as she noticed the bit of blood that had dripped onto the floor. "Are you ok?"

The light angel shook out his hand as he healed his ear before he nodded and said, "Fine, milady summoner."

"But you won't be for long," Sonya snapped before she fired a round into the Angel's kneecap.

He winced and fell to the floor as the bullet tore through the skin, destroying the bone underneath it. "Sonya, I have to talk with you about our itinerary," he continued as he held his hand over his knee, trying to heal it before he acquired another wound.

"What could be so important that you needed to wake me from my sleep?" She narrowed her eyes into a glare, warning him that if he had nothing important to say then he was going to be in a lot of pain.

"It's not matters to be openly discussed, dearest," he said slowly, as he took notice of the congregated heirs and company.

"You have to the count of two," she warned as she stepped neared to him, her gun aimed for his head. "One…"

"Saesi air mystaerol shyl shor Dios!" (There is something wrong with Dios) he said quickly, earning a confused look from everyone except Sonya.

The Dark Angel lowered her gun, and looked at him carefully. "Wha…" she stopped speaking when she took notice that the other heirs were still around. Sighing in aggravation she spoke, "Shar pai o tael 'Saesi air mystaerol shyl shor Dios'?" (What do you mean 'There is something wrong with Dios'?)

Slowly getting up from the floor, the brunette angel ran a hand through his hair. "Ai shael sai mi Dios sydae eil ci shar eilol mali. Ci syr ti shi car jhaer sosti sai thol si caes sal shi car syl eil Ai shar kaerol si thaelol ci shar jhaelol mes or." (I went to see Dios today and he was acting strange. He told me we had less time to find the heirs than we had thought and I was getting the feeling he was leaving stuff out.)

"Jhaelol shar col os mes or?" (Leaving what kind of stuff out.) Sonya questioned as she shoved her gun into the waist of her pants.

"Ci shar shael eileroli eirdyr si shyli sydos eil celia tylaer si tylaesarol sai iar." (He was being allusive about the whole topic and quickly moved the conversation to us.) he ran a hand through his brown hair before continuing. "Ci por's jhyl shaer aeraes. Ci maestaer shys or, sosaer." (He didn't look well either. He seemed worn out, tired.)

Sonya remained silent, contemplating the words Maximus was saying to her. The others took this as an opportunity to silently speak amongst themselves.

"Do you understand what they're saying," Ryu whispered to the ice heiress who merely shook her head.

She tilted her head upwards, her brown ponytail falling behind her shoulder. "I have no idea what's going on and trying to follow along is giving me a headache," she admitted as she sent a confused glance towards the two angels.

Everyone was watching the Angels intently. Sonya had gone from murderous rampage to calm in the whole of two minutes and no one was sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing seeing as how they couldn't quite understand what was being said. Though, if the words the Light Angel said had that much of an affect on Sonya, they must have been of a serious matter.

"Ai shor kai sar sai cos" (I will go talk to him) Sonya finally said before she expanded her black wings.

The other stared at her in confusion, not sure what she was going to do and almost afraid to find out. They were surprised to see the soft ebony colored wings wrap around her body frame before the entire area turned black. When once again the light began to filter into the hallway, the heirs took immediate notice that the space Sonya had previously occupied was now empty.

Tidus was the first to speak. "Wh… what was that?" he asked Maximus, confusion evident in the tone he used.

The Angel glanced at him, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "That, my friend, was the forbidden language of the Caesai." He smiled smugly at the confused expressions of the group that surrounded him. "They were a group of people that were banished from this world, sent into exile. Their lifestyle, traditions, and language had been forbidden long ago and are considered to be of the utmost sacrilegious activity one can partake in." He paused momentarily before adding in, "Their story is quite a sad one actually…" He shrugged his shoulders, signifying to the others that he was finished speaking.

Ryu raised an eyebrow as he looked at Maximus curiously. "But if it is forbidden why were you and Sonya just using it?"

The brunette Angel smirked, "That, dear Ryu, is simple." He looked around at the faces of those surrounding him. Not a one had a clue as to what he was getting at. With a roll of his eyes he stated, "So you don't understand." Those words being said, he turned from the group and walked towards his room, leaving the clan with the unsettling feeling that something serious was going on, and they weren't being informed about it.

After a few moment of silence, Gippal took notice of the gaping hole in the wall. "Vilg!" he cried out as he walked over to hole in the wall. He cursed a few times under his breath before he said, "Well we're going to have to head out over to the Thunder Plains now."

Slightly confused, Kyria asked, "I thought the Machine Faction was in Djose?"

"It is," the Machine Faction leader started, "however, the airship parts are made in the Thunder Plains, the lightening bolts prove to be a constant source of energy and makes it easier to manufacture things."

"So, we're going to the Thunder Plains now?" Yuna asked as Gippal started off towards the bridge of the airship. The blond Al Bhed nodded his head without even glancing over his shoulder. "But… " The High Summoner started.

"Sonya can come find us… she made the hole in the wall, so it's her own fault," he said bitterly as he disappeared around a corner.

Kyria looked up at Ryu and scrunched her nose, "Why do I have a feeling this isn't going to go over well with her?"

"Because it's Sonya… and nothing goes over well with her," the dirty blond wind god replied.

---xXx---

The dark haired Angel shoved her way past the numerous beings that were centralized in Diroho. "Get out of my way," she growled as the people frantically ran around. 'What in the name of Dios is going on here?' she pondered as a lesser being ran into her. Narrowing her emerald eyes she sent the being a silent warning.

"I apologize, mistress Sonya," along with a low bow was the reply to Sonya's glare.

"MIGUEL," Sonya's voice boomed throughout the area. "Where are you, you pathetic ingrate?" An irritated sigh caused the dark angel to turn around and glance in that direction. Without so much as a hello, Sonya lashed into the blond messenger. "Where the hell is Dios, and what the hell is going on around here?"

The blond crossed his arms and glowered at the Angel. "I am not under your jurisdiction, Angel. I don't have to tell you anything."

In the time span it took for Miguel to blink, he found himself thrown through two walls, laying in a pile of rubble, with a smug Sonya standing over him. "What was that, Miguel? I couldn't hear you over the sound of bones breaking…" She extended her arm, grasping the front of the blonde's shirt. Then with little effort she heaved him off the ground and held him in the air. "Where. Is. Dios. I'll not ask you again, Miguel."

The messenger wrapped his hands around Sonya's wrist as a reflex before he said, "He's not here… and I don't know what he's doing."

"Why do I not believe that?" She asked as she slammed him up against the wall. "Tell me, Miguel, what's been going on around here, that dearest Dios has left out in our discussions."

The blond messenger closed his eyes, trying to minimize the throbbing pain in the back of his head. "I… I really," he slowly opened his eyes, immediately locking gazes with the irate angel. Swallowing hard he continued, "I really can't tell you."

"Wrong answer," she hissed as she flipped him over and slammed him down onto the ground. "You know, Maximus and I have been associating with humans, because Dios told us to, that we needed to. Now, we did this without question, but when Maximus comes to me because he thinks something is wrong- we have a problem because I am the last person he would come to for help. Now you are either going to tell me what's going on, get Dios back here and now, or get hurt. Your choice."

Miguel grimaced, that had been painful. He wasn't going to be able to keep withholding information from the Dark Angel, he knew that much, but he didn't want to face Dios' wrath for having divulged that information to her either. "I can try and contact Dios," he finally said, deciding the best way to go about this would be to inform him, and he could deal with her.

"Very well," she said as she released his shirt from her grip and straightened her back. "I'll be waiting in his office," she informed him before she turned her back to him and walked off.

Miguel watched the retreating form of the Angel and scowled at her. _'She always comes at the most inopportune moments…'_ He shook his head. _'Dios will not be pleased…'_

---xXx---

Sonya plopped herself down in the chair behind the large desk Dios normally talked across. She leaned back and propped her feet up on the desk._ 'So this is what it looks like from this side…'_ She smirked as she thought of all the times she had sat on the other side of this desk getting screamed at.

She deepened her voice and she forced on a stern expression before she said, "Sonya, you can not kill Maximus and other humans, no matter how utterly pitiful they are. I kn-OH!" She jumped, sweeping the desk clear as her legs fell from the desk when the door before her opened and Miguel walked in. "Shit!" she muttered as the papers fell to the floor. Jerking her head in the direction of the door, she narrowed her emerald eyes. "Haven't you ever heard of knocking?" she hissed as she bent forward and started to shuffle the papers together. "What do you want?"

"Dios can't come back now," he told her as his lips turned into a scowl and a look of contempt crossed his features. "He said you can wait for him, or leave." He crossed his arms over his chest and said, "I personally think you should leave."

"Get out," she snapped before she looked back down at the papers she was gathering. He didn't respond, he merely turned his back to her and left the room. "Idiot," she murmured as she lifted the papers from the ground. Tossing the stack of documents onto the desk something caught her eye. "Elemental War…?" Stealing a glance at the door to be sure it was closed, she carefully lifted the cover page and took a peek into the stack of papers.

The entire booklet of papers was documented reports of the ordeal with Gabriella and Hades. As she continued to flip through it she came to the most recent of the reports. Partially reading aloud she muttered, "As the time passes I've come to realize… blah, blah, blah… stronger than expected… less time… fear it may…" She dropped the papers as her expression feel. "Shit…"

She stood abruptly from the chair and ran out the office door. Pushing past Miguel she called over her shoulder, "I'm leaving!"

---xXx---

A/N: Okies, well hope you enjoyed that small chapter. Please review! To0dles!


	11. Chap 10 Continued

A/N: I graduated! –dances- I am a college bound girlie Uhm, I apologize about the long wait. I had this written a while ago. But we got a new computer and then graduation and the party and all that jazz… yeah I've been busy. I won't keep you waiting though… Here is the chapter… Hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimer: I own the OCs and the Plot. MINE ALL MINE!

---xXx---

**-Chapter 10 Continued-**

The roar from the airship's engine caught Maximus' immediate attention. "Are they stupid?" he thought aloud as he contemplated the _pleasant _reaction Sonya was going to have about this. He groaned internally before getting up from his seated position and jogging down towards the bridge.

"Max, where ya goin'?" Tidus questioned the Light Angel as he ran by.

Maximus turned and sent the Water god a stern look. "You do realize, you are leaving without Sonya… correct?" When the blond nodded, the Angel's expression changed from stern to incredulous, "Do you all _want _to die?" Then without waiting for a response, he turned his back to Tidus and continued towards the bridge.

He held out his hand and threw open the door to the bridge. As he made his 'grand entrance' he looked immediately towards Gippal and asked, "What do you think you are doing?"

Gippal stole a quick glance over his shoulder and nonchalantly replied, "We're taking a detour and heading over to the Thunder Plains."

Crossing his arms he raised an eyebrow, "You do realize that Sonya is not present?"

"Yes, I am well aware of that," Gippal told the brunette angel as he peered ahead. "She's the reason we're going to the Thunder Plains. That beautiful hole she thought would look nice in the hallway needs to be repaired."

"If you leave without her, you'll have more of a problem than a hole in the wall…" the Angel warned gravely.

"Yeah, like a hole in the head."

The sudden intercession of the detached female's voice caught Gippal off guard. He bolted around and his eyes quickly came to lay upon the petite Angel whose arms were crossed and wore a scowl on her face. Sonya made her way past Maximus and stood before Gippal. The blond Al Bhed's eyes were wide as she stopped in from of him.

"Next time you _consider _leaving without, remember," she grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him down to her eye level. "I will tear through this piece of scrap metal before I take care of you." She narrowed her eyes. "Understood?" Gippal nodded. "Good."

She turned and looked at Maximus who had an expectant look on his face. She held up her hand and shook her head before answering his unasked question. "Not now. Later." She turned back to Gippal and asked, "So the Thunder Plains?" She had a contemplative look on her face that worried the Al Bhed.

"Yeah," he affirmed her thoughts with a slight nod of his head.

"Good." She grinned as a sparkle came to her eyes.

Maximus looked at her curiously as a smile tugged at the sides of his lips. "Are you thinking…"

She nodded her head, "Endurance and Speed."

---xXx---

It took about an hour to get to an area they could land the airship in. The storm was so bad in the Thunder plain today; it forced them to land in some secluded plateau area on the outskirts of the Plains.

Ryu and Kyria watched as Gippal and Rikku prepared themselves to head out into the storm. "How exactly are you going to get a huge piece of metal from the factory you have to here?" Ryu questioned.

"Yeah, you'll be a walking lightening rod," Kyria threw in as an after thought.

"Tarp, sillies," Rikku said with a grin. "You wrap the machina part in the tarp before you bring it outside."

"Oh, all right," Ryu said as he ran a hand through his hair. "I was going to say, no matter how fast you run, you aren't going to be able to get through that without being fried by a lightening bolt."

"Speaking of dodging lightening bolts…" Sonya's voice filled the room, leaving this heavy silence among the heirs and the two Al Bheds. Every occupant in the room turned to face at the Dark Angel, apprehension crossing each of their features. She motioned to her elemental counterpart as she said, "Maximus and I are combining training today."

"You're going to be running the length of the Thunder Plains, dodging lightening bolts as you go," the Angel of Light explained to them as he stepped out in front of Sonya.

"And," she interceded. "Should you fall behind, or just suck all together," she smirked, sending a chill up the backs of the heirs, ""Sure, you'll be running and dodging, but the lightening will be the least of your worries."

"With those pleasant words spoken," Maximus chimed in with an unusual happiness in his tone. "You have fifteen minutes to get ready."

"Bring your weapons," Sonya told them as the walked past her. "Dios knows you don't want to be left with relying on your magic…"

---xXx---

None of the heirs were particularly enthused about having to do this kind of training, but they hurried to get ready anyway. Keeping Sonya waiting was like going into the Omega Ruins without a weapon. Let's just say, you have a better chance surviving in the ruins.

Tidus ruffled his hair as he entered the elevator with the two heirs. "I haven't dodged lightening since… Yuna's pilgrimage." He half laughed, "Shouldn't be much of a problem."

Kyria shrugged her shoulders before saying, "Agility is my thing." She moved her hands to the weapons latched onto the back of her waist. "But I brought my weapons anyway. Can't say I've ever tried to dodge lightening before…"

Ryu remained quiet as the elevator continued to descend. He was probably dreading this most of all of them. He had this odd feeling he was going to fall behind and get left with Sonya. He wasn't exactly slow, but Tidus is a blitz player and was a guardian, then there was Kyria who is quick on her feet and reacts instantaneously to stimuli.

When the elevator came to a stop at the loading dock, the doors opened to reveal Maximus and Sonya. The Dark Angel was securing her guns in the holsters attached to her thighs, while Maximus stood with his arms crossed over his chest. She finished quickly before raising her head and acknowledging the presence of the heirs, "Ready?"

Moving out of the confines of the ship, the group stepped out into the storm. The two angels turned and walked backwards, speaking to the heirs. "You'll be running the entire length of the Plain, regardless, if you _can _dodge bolts or _not_."

Maximus nodded his head in agreement with Sonya. "I will be waiting at the end," he stole a quick glance to the Dark Angel besides him, "To heal you." He turned his attention back to the heirs. "Now as a source of … _inspiration… _Sonya will stay behind you to be sure you don't lag behind." Sonya smirked as she gripped the handle of Oblivion Rapier.

"You sure we'll make it to the end," Ryu questioned with a quirked eyebrow.

"The lightening bolts won't hurt you that badly, Ryu…" Maximus said as she sent the wind god a questioning look.

"I wasn't talking about the lightening," he replied as he glanced at the Dark Angel.

The Angel of Light shrugged his shoulders before saying, "Good Luck," and disappearing.

Sonya grinned as she moved closer to the heirs. "Ready, set… _MOVE_!"

---xXx---

They hadn't even made it half way and the three heirs were beginning to tire. "What's wrong?" Sonya said with an annoying cheerfulness to her voice. "Are the heirs getting tired?"

"You're not?" Kyria asked incredulously in between breaths of air.

"I could run laps around you pathetic beings," she spoke contemptuously as she removed one of the twins from its holster. She moved the gun, aiming it for the ground before them. "Now… _RUN_!" She shot the ground before the heirs, jolting them into action once more.

"Holy!" Kyria called out as back hand-springed away from Sonya. "I'm gone," she called out as she ran down the Plains, dodging bolts of lightening as she went.

"Wait up!" Tidus called after her as he spun to the left, avoiding the lightening before taking off after her. Ryu took a deep breath before following the other two blue-eyed heirs.

It wasn't much longer til the heirs stopped running again, but this time it wasn't because of fatigue. Ryu had been struck down by lightening, "Argh!" he cried out as he fell to the floor. Lying in a supine position on the ground, Ryu remained motionless as he took in deep breaths of air.

Kyria and Tidus stopped running and turned back to the wind god. "Are you ok, Ryu?" Kyria asked she moved towards him, taking a knee besides him.

"He'll be fine," Sonya said as she sauntered up along side them. When the water and ice heirs didn't move she narrowed her eyes and hissed, "Did I say to stop running?"

Kyria lifted her head, glancing at the Dark Angel, "No, but-"

_"MOVE_!" Sonya shouted. Kyria and Tidus scurried to their feet and started sprinting down the Plains. "Get up," she growled as she stood over the wind god.

"I can't do this, Sonya," he told her as he took a deep breath and wiped the rainwater from his face.

"Did I ask you if you could do it?" she slammed her foot into his side. "I said, get up."

He yelped in pain as he rolled away from her, holding his side. "What the hell, Sonya?"

"Ryu, do not give me a reason to hurt you," she warned as her knuckles began to whiten from the intense grip she had on her gun.

"I can't run… I can't dodge the lightening," he said frantically as he watched the Dark Angel approach him. "I give up. I just want to go back to the ship."

"Oh so sad, oh _too bad_. That's not an option." she retorted with a roll of her eyes. She bent forward, grabbed the collar of his shirt and lifted him to his feet. "Run and dodge bolts or run from me. One of the two, Ryu, you have no other choices." She released the collar of his shirt and shoved him forward, causing him to stumble and nearly fall again. "Now, GO!"

He started forward but before he could go anywhere, a flash of light shot out from the sky and slammed into his chest. Once again, leaving the heir to his knees, shaking in pain. "Ryu!" Sonya shouted with irritation.

"Sonya, I can't do this, damn it!" he said, aggravation showing through his words.

"Who do you think you are? You _do not_ snap at me." She glared at him as she stepped forward. She slammed her fist into the back of his head before saying, "You will move, or _I will_ hurt you."

"Screw off," he snapped, immediately regretting doing so.

"You little piece of shit," she growled as she grabbed a fistful of his hair. "I've had enough of your attitude." She dragged him towards a lightening tower and sent him a malicious grin before slamming his head into it. She pulled his head back and looked down at him. "Are you that stupid that you didn't get that pissing me off, is a REALLY bad idea?" She slammed his head into the metal tower once again.

Pain shot through Ryu head when it connected with the tower. He moved his hands upward to try and soften the blows he was taking, but it wasn't working effectively. "Sonya, are you out of your mind? Stop it!"

"Oh you want me to stop? Let me think about that one." She paused her actions and made a sound that sounded like 'hmm' before she spoke again. "How bout, _NO_!"

However, before she could continue assaulting the battered wind god, a flash from a bolt of lightening took over the area and almost instinctively Sonya released Ryu and flipped to her left, allowing the electrical attack slam into the tower. She quickly spun around to face the unknown attacker. "Do you have a death wish?" she asked calmly as hand hung freely at her sides, her fingers twitching in anticipation.

Standing at a distance a little over 8 feet stood the figure of a girl. She stood with her arms crossed over her chest as she took a few steps forward. "Picking on a defenseless guy like that," she shook her head sadly before continuing, "Kinda pathetic."

Ryu turned and looked at the girl who had, in a way, saved his life. As she got closer he could see she had a petite body frame that was extenuated by the wet tank top that was clinging to her body. She wasn't that tall, her baggy pants dragged on the ground as she walked and from Ryu's viewpoint she didn't appear to be much bigger than Sonya, if anything, she looked a little smaller.

"I'll show you pathetic," Sonya growled as she began to move closer to the girl.

Another flash of light brightened the air as a bolt of lightening slammed down in between the new girl and Sonya. The light allowed Ryu to examine the girl's face more closely. She was wearing a smug grin, and her spiraled violet eyes sparkled with mischief. She brushed her wet, shoulder length, navy blue hair back over her shoulder before saying, "You sure you wanna try that?"

Realizing this girl's life was in danger, and she didn't even know it, Ryu tried to repay the favor by getting Sonya away from her. "Sonya, just leave her… she's not worth it."

Ryu didn't even have the chance to blink before Sonya was on him. She grabbed the pressure point in his neck and hissed, "Sleep," before forcibly pushing his unconscious form to the ground. Jerking her head back around, she glared at the blue haired assailant. "You," she pointed a slender finger at the girl, "You are coming with me."

Reaching over her shoulder, the girl pulled free a long duel bladed metal pole that was about 5 feet in length. The end closest to the ground was a circular blade, while the opposite side was shaped like a crescent moon. The girl twirled it around, so that when she stopped the half moon side pointed towards Sonya. Multiple bolts of lightening came down around her, lighting up her face, showing a smirk. "I'd like to see you try," she challenged.

Sonya scoffed as she grabbed Oblivion Rapier and lunged at the girl. She brought the blade around, aiming for the girl's throat. Attempting to defend herself, the blue haired girl brought up her staff, ready to deflect Sonya's attack. However, Sonya was too fast for her, by merely bringing her hand down, she ducked under the swing of the pole and stabbed at the girl's stomach. The Dark Angel grinned when she heard the sharp inhalation from her opponent, immediately knowing she did some damage. Sonya ripped the blade from her stomach, further widening the cut.

Bent over with her hands over the wound, the strange girl was breathing erratically. "Pitiful," was the last uttered word the girl heard before Sonya slammed the hilt of her sword into the back her head, rendering her unconscious.

Looking back and forth between the two unconscious human Sonya crossed her arms and glared at them. "Now I have to heal the stupid girl," she complained to herself as she bent down next to Ryu. Searching his pockets for some kind of potion, she grew frustrated when she found nothing. "Useless," she hissed as she smacked the back of his head. She moved over to girl and searched her pockets. She quickly found a Hi-potion in the girl's back pouch. Rolling the girl onto her back, Sonya looked at the wound. "Barely a scratch," she said referring to the deep gash as she rolled her eyes. She opened the bottle and poured it onto the wound, quickly healing it.

"Well that's my good deed for this millennium," she said bitterly as she tossed the bottle aside. "Good thing no one saw this, the people in Anarui would think I went soft." She ran a hand through her wet hair as she looked down at the two of them. "Alright, miss heiress, you're coming with me," she remarked as she bent down and hefted the girl over her shoulder. She glanced down at the unconscious wind god. "You can handle yourself, right, Ryu? Great." She smirked to herself as she stepped on the back of the heir as she started walking to where Maximus and the others were.

---xXx---

"Ryu is taking a really long time," Kyria said as she strained her eyes to see out ahead of her. It wasn't that Ryu was out in the Thunder Plains that long that was bothering her, the fact that he_ and _Sonya weren't back was a factor that bothered her greatly. "Maybe we should look for them…"

"Yeah, Ryu could be dead by now," Tidus added in, only to receive a glare from the petite ice heiress.

Maximus pondered the situation momentarily. They were right. If Ryu was taking this long, it wasn't because of the lightening bolts; they all knew that. Sonya was too impatient to allow that to occur. "Let's go make sure our little wind heir is in one piece," he said before he started off towards the point they started from.

It didn't take them long to encounter Sonya, and it was undeniably her, they knew from the string of curses coming from her mouth. "Ah, music to my ears," the Light Angel commented as the vulgar words hit his ears.

"Is that you, you worthless piece of flesh?" Sonya called out as she trudged through the rain and mud. If it wasn't bad enough she was lugging around at least one hundred pounds of dead weight, it was raining and the fiends decided they would like to make their presence know to her.

"It is," he replied as he walked nearer her. As he got closer he took notice that Sonya was carrying someone and that said person was not Ryu. He raised his eyebrows in confusion before asking, "Where is Ryu… and who is that?"

The emerald-eyed Angel tossed the girl to the floor, not taking care to be sure she had a soft landing. "That is your thunder heiress." She ran her hands over her soaked through jeans before continuing, "Do you know what its like to balance some stupid human on your shoulder and fight five dual horns at the same time?" She glared at the girl on the ground before adding in, "One of them tried to flee before I could kill it," she shook her head, "stupid fiends…"

"That's the heir of Thor?" Maximus questioned skeptically as he nudged the unconscious girl with his foot.

"No, I'm lying and I merely lugged her half dead ass all the way over here because I felt like it," she sneered.

"Is she alive?" Tidus asked as he looked down at the girl.

"Does _half _dead mean _anything _to you, idiot?" Sonya snapped at the water god.

"Uhm, where's Ryu?" Kyria inquired quietly as she glanced at the Dark Angel.

Ignoring the ice goddess' question, she punched her counterpart's arm. "Well, heal her before she dies from internally bleeding or something…"

"Calm down, Sonya dearest," he said as he knelt down besides the girl, placing a hand on her forehead. Muttering a quick spell, he fully healed her. "She's fine…"

"Ok, that's nice, where is Ryu,' Kyria asked again, this time with a little more force.

"Of course she lived, I didn't hit a vital organ," she said with a roll of her eyes, once again completely dismissing the brunette's question. "The heirs are needed alive, not dead… don't know how many times you, yourself Maximus, have said that."

Before they angels could begin fighting, Kyria interrupted. Placing two fingers to her lips, she let out an ear-piercing whistle, gaining the attention of the others. When she noticed everyone was looking at her she smiled and asked again, "Where is Ryu?"

"Oh… _him…" _Sonya apathetically remarked. "I knocked him out and left him face down in some puddle back there," she used her hand to motion over her shoulder. She shrugged her shoulders before adding in an after thought, "Maybe he drowned."

"What!" Kyria shrieked. Her blue eyes were wide as she gaped at the dark angel that was standing before her.

"Oh, shut up," Sonya snapped as she narrowed her eyes, glaring at the younger girl. "He's still alive… we're not that lucky." She paused for a moment and slowly her frown turned into a malicious grin, "Though the fiends do have to eat…"

The ice heiress didn't respond, she merely pushed past the Angel and began sprinting off down the Thunder Plains. Maximus gave Sonya a look before saying, "I would ask you to watch over this one while I went to make sure he isn't dead, however…" he glanced down at the unconscious girl.

"What you don't think I can't watch a unconscious girl?" She questioned with a raised eyebrow. "She's not going anywhere… it isn't a hard task."

"Oh no, I know you'll watch her," the angel of Light reaffirmed. "You'll also watch a hungry fiend come over and eat her."

"You never said to watch and protect," Sonya remarked with a smirk as she watched Maximus lift the unconscious girl into his arms. "That extra work and would cost ya."

Standing up straight he rolled his eyes. "You are no help."

"Angel of Darkness," she said as she motioned to herself. "I cause problems, not help."

With those words spoken, she snapped her fingers and disappeared in a burst of black and indigo flames. "Show off," Maximus muttered as he expanded the wings on his back. Jumping into the air with the heiress in his arms he took off in the direction Kyria and Tidus had run off in.

---xXx---

Within a matter of seconds, Sonya was within the confines of the HighWind, completely dry. She brushed her long raven hair over her shoulder before making her way towards the kitchen. She walked past Yuna who did a double take as the Angel walked by. "So- Sonya, where is everyone else?"

Not turning around to even bother looking at the High Summoner, the Dark Angel shrugged her shoulders and said, "On the Plains." Then without letting Yuna ask another question, she continued towards her destination.

---xXx---

Looking over his current situation, Maximus debated what to do. Beside a small cut on his forehead, and what looked to be a forming bump, Ryu was fine. _'Pressure Point Tactic… she just knocked him out.'_ "Tidus, carry sleeping beauty here," the brunette Angel stated as he passed off the unconscious heiress. Once the thunder heiress was passed off, Maximus bent down and got a hold on Ryu. "I got this one…" he said, a little strain in his voice as hefted the wind heir over his shoulder.

A good while later, the group of soaking wet heirs and Maximus trudged into the airship. Running towards the Blitzer, Yuna found herself almost holding an unconscious stranger. "Oh my," she voiced as she laid eyes on the girl. "What happened?"

"Sonya happened," Maximus voiced as he moved past the high summoner and down the hall towards Ryu's room. "She took out two of our heirs…" he said dejectedly as he continued down the hall.

Nodding her head slowly, Yuna turned to Tidus and said, "Well, here, follow me," she turned her back to the group. "We'll put her in my room…"

---xXx---

Standing before the wind god's room, Maximus pushed the door open with his foot. He stepped inside the room and walked towards the bed. _'He shouldn't be out much longer,'_ he mused as he reached the bed. However, before he could place the heir in his bed…

"AHHH!" Ryu called out as he jerked suddenly in the Angel's arms. Startled, Maximus dropped the heir in an unfavorable way and jumped back away from him. "Ouch…" the dirty blond said as he sat up from the floor and rubbed the top of his head.

"Well, I see you are awake now… very well," was all the Angel said before turning away and walking out.

---xXx---

After examining the girl, Yuna found nothing more than a small scratch or two, definitely not something she expected having come from Sonya's tender care. _'Odd…'_

"How is she?" Tidus questioned as he placed his hands on the Summoner's shoulders.

"Fine," she told him in an almost unbelieving tone. "The only thing I found was this," she slipped her finger through a hole in the front of the girl's shirt. The edges of the hole were line in dried blood and it was about the side of a clean hit from a rather large blade. However, upon closer examination, there was no cut under the shirt. "Maybe Max took care of it?"

"I think he did," Tidus nodded as he spoke. "He had placed his hand on her forehead and chanted something before we left… probably healing spell."

"How's the patient," the cheerful voice of Maximus permeated the room as he entered.

Before Yuna could respond, a slightly pained groan came from the bed. The trio immediately turned their heads in her direction. As she slowly regained consciousness, the thunder heiress blinked open her eyes. "Wha… huh…" She sat up and look around, he spiraled violet eyes taking in the unfamiliar area. "Where am I?"

"You're aboard the HighWind," Tidus informed her with a grin.

"How did I get here?" she questioned slowly, her suspicions of these strange people growing. She rubbed her head. What happened, why did she lose consciousness? She rubbed the temples of her head to try and remember something.

"I brought you here," Maximus said as she stepped before the girl. "I believe you met a friend of mine on the Thunder Plains, though I use the term friend loosely."

The Thunder Plains? She closed her eyes and thought for a minute, at first nothing came, but then she remembered she had been sitting on top of a lightening tower when she spotted the defenseless boy get attacked by that crazed girl. "The last person I remember seeing was some psycho girl with a sharp sword," she told them as her hand involuntarily moved to her side.

"So, I see you not only met Sonya, but you met the sharp end of Oblivion Rapier," he said in a light manner. "You know, not many live to tell that story." He sent the girl a smile, that she never returned.

"That's, uhm… great?" She slowly started to rise to her feet. She had stuck around long enough, now she wanted to go home. "Now, thank you for … helping me." She quirked an eyebrow at her own statement. It was their friend that harmed her in the first place. "But, if ya don't mind, I'd like to leave now."

"That isn't possible," the Light Angel informed her as he took a seat on the bed and pulled her down beside him. "Have you ever heard of the elemental heirs?"

---xXx---

It didn't take long for Maximus to explain their situation and he involvement in the scheme of things. "Uhm, that's nice… really creative," she said with a half smile. _'These people are out of their mind…'_ "Now, can I go?"

"I'm not joking," the Angel gravely responded. He closed his eyes and a few short moments later, a pair of wings, spanning twelve feet extended from his back. Opening his eyes, he smirked as he gave a quick flap of the ivory feathers. The blue haired heiress' eyes were wide in disbelief as she took in the sight before her. "Now, I'm Maximus, Angel of Light… what's your name?"

"J… Ju…" she took a deep breath and locked eyes with the Angel. "Julia."

---xXx---

A/N: Hope you enjoyed it. PLEASE REVIEW! Love ya. To0dles!


	12. Showing Off

Author's Note: OH EM GEE! I am SO SORRY! I have been extremely busy, and the fact that I had major writer's block did not help. I had graduated from high school and kind of just enjoyed myself for a while, then I got a job. I waitress at a catering hall every weekend and it was really hard work. And now… now I've started college. I'm a full time student and I got two jobs, so finding time to write was really hard. I REALLY apologize if some characterizations seem a little off or if some sections don't flow well, but I have been writing this over a prolonged period of time and had a like 4 month hiatus where I wrote sporadically but nothing spectacular. I WILL NOT QUIT. I have plans for this story, and I WILL NOT quit. Ok well that's all I have to say, I really apologize for the long awaited chapter, but it's a full nine pages long which is short for my normal chapter, but I think the next chapter will be of a fairly decent length o.o

And since I was so excited to finish this I didn't get it proof read / sorry for the atrocious grammar.

Ok well please don't make me feel like crap, PLEASE REVIEW. It would mean so much to me. I love you guys Now for the chapter…

Disclaimer: I own the OCs and anything else not affiliated with a copyright oo

---xXx---

**Showing Off  
**

"Djose… again…" Sonya wanted to bash her head into something hard, preferably metal. They had already gone to Djose and from Sonya's prospective it had absolutely no alluring aspect whatsoever.

"Well, dearest, it is _you _who put the hole in the wall," Maximus stated with a grin, enjoying the scowl Sonya wore on her face. "Besides…" he started as he moved towards the other side of the room. "You and I… and I suppose Julia and Tidus can seal the temple. We'd have to do it eventually anyway." He glanced at his elemental counterpart. Her fists were clenched at her sides and if looks could kill, Maximus would have dropped dead in a matter of seconds. If he didn't know Sonya well enough to know it's a bad idea, he would have laughed at her. She was one to always try to kill someone with a look before her blade. "Stop giving me that look, you know I'm right…" He quickly pulled his head to the left, avoiding the glass Sonya had chucked at his head. "Tsk... I suppose they'll have to buy some new glassware."

"Maximus," she spoke slowly, each syllable of his name rolling off her tongue with a hint of malice, "Unless you want me to cut out your tongue with a shard of glass, I suggest you leave… now." Her eyes were narrowed as she sent him a glare that clearly read 'disobey me and die.'

He smirked and turns his head away from her. "Fine, I'll see you outside the temple then." With those words spoken he fully turned towards the door and walked out. The smirk never left his face as he walked out, knowing all to well that she was scowling trying to resist the temptation to stab him. As he stepped out into the hallway he tilted his head and watched as a glass flew by and shattered against the wall.

---xXx---

Gippal was far from being in a good mood. He glared at the map before him, not really paying much attention to it. After some irritation from being ignored, Rikku snatched the map from the table. "Forget it Gippy, I'll do it myself."

Glancing at the map, the blonde Al Bhed quickly routed a path and typed the coordinates into the computers. She turned her head and glanced over her shoulder. "Now, what was so hard about that?"

Shaking his head, the Machine Faction leader sighed as his green eyes fell to the floor. "Sorry, Riks, it's just if Sonya keeps blasting, punching, ripping, and throwing people through the walls… the HighWind is going to fall apart." He ran a hand through his hair, gently tugging on the ends. "She's a torture to have around an-"

"Sonya broke a few of your glasses… and plates," The Angel of light cut in as he stepped onto the bridge. He ripped the bottom portion of his sleeve off and tossed it aside. Making a swift circular motion over his arm with his hand, a white aura surrounded his arm, closing the gash that ran along it.

"Oh... my... MACHINA!" Gippal cried out in aggravation. "That's it! She's destroying everything in the airship!" He threw his hands over his head in frustration and stormed off the deck.

Rikku and Maximus shared a glance before scurrying off after Gippal. The Angel of Light didn't know much about the Machine faction leader, but he didn't think he'd be so foolish as to confront the ill tempered daughter of darkness. His thoughts, however, changed as he heard the familiar sound of glass slamming against metal, shattering into a million fragments. _'Idiot…'_

When the pair reached the kitchen area, Gippal was huddled over covering his head with his arms while Sonya was gently holding another glass in her hand, running her eyes over his crouched form. "C'mon, _Gippy,_ if you don't want me breaking your stuff," she paused as a malicious glint came to her eyes before she continued, "_Make me…_"

On her face she wore the smirk that was always present when she was making an example of her superiority. Without further hesitation, she pulled her arm back before hurtling the glass straight at the Al Bhed's head.

"Got'cha!" Max's voice filled the room as he leapt forward intercepting the glass and flipping over the Al Bhed, gracefully landing besides him. Carefully placing it down, he stole a glance at Gippal who was now being shuffled out of the room by an irate petite Al Bhed. He chuckled to himself as he turned his attention towards Sonya. His face grew serious as he spoke, "You are a guest in some one else's ship… the _least_ you could do is _not_ break their glassware, etc."

Sending a glare toward her element counterpart, she reached her arm behind her and felt around for something. A grin found it way to her face as she grasped an object firmly in her hand. "Fine, I won't throw glass anymore…" her voice trailed off as a mischievous glint came to her eye that made the Light Angel shudder. "Instead…" she started, much to Maximus' dismay, "I'll throw… this." Brining her arm forward she showed him a ten inch cutting knife. "Next person to so much as look at me, gets this to their jugular."

The words barely left her mouth when the unlucky brunette Ice heiress strolled in. "Heya, Max," she said with a smile before averting her eyes to Sonya "Hi, So-" She didn't even get to finish her sentence before she found herself confused and on the floor with Maximus on top of her and his over her mouth. Pulling his hand away she shot him an incredulous look and said "…the hell?"

Maximus pointed an indignant finger towards the ten inch knife stabbed into the wall before moving his finger in Sonya's direction. "That."

Narrowing her eyes she grabbed Maximus finger and snapped it in two places, causing the Light Angel to wince as a slight whimper escaped his lips. "Don't point at me you backwater creature." Shoving his hand back towards him she growled, "Next time... it'll be your neck" Without uttering another syllable the Dark Angel turned away from them and dispersed into a burst of black and indigo flames.

"Show off," the Angel of light muttered before getting up off the ground and helping the heiress to her feet. Giving his trade mark smile, he acted like the incident with Sonya hadn't occurred and said in a cheerful manner, "So Lets go seal this temple, shall we?"

---xXx---

Sonya, Maximus, Tidus and Julia casually made their way towards the temple. The angel of light glanced at the dark temptress and shook his head. "Gippal would have been more than willing to get us in the Temple, but _someone_ decided they were going to try and gouge out his other eye with a piece of broken glass."

The dark angel merely shrugged her shoulders and continued to walk ahead of the group. "You'll have to be fast, and discreet. We don't want to draw any unnecessary attention to ourselves." She looked over her shoulder and glared at the people with her. "I believe that's simple enough to do, even for you, Blondie." She moved her gaze forward as she continued to speak, "I'll distract them for as long as I can. But _do not_ mess up. Once all attention is on me, get in, and move to the chamber of the Fayth." She stopped as she as she placed her hand on the door to the chamber. "One last thing," she turned her head towards them and snarled, _"Move fast_."

She flattened the wrinkles in her shirt and checked to make sure her skirt was at the right length before pushing open the door and stepping into the confines of the temple. Standing in the center of the room, she smiled sweetly and spoke, "Can any of you strong men assist me for a minute?" She looked around the room at all the sweaty Al Bhed in the area. When she was almost certain that all eyes were on her she flipped her hair over her shoulder and continued, "I'm a little lost…"

---xXx---

Maximus shook his head as he watched the group of men practically swarm the seductress. Motioning to the heirs to follow him, he slipped into the Temple and turned to the left, quickly making his way up to the front of the room, Tidus and Julia following quickly behind him. _'I hope for their sakes, they don't mess this up.'_

---xXx---

Sonya watched from the corner of her eye as the trio made their way up through the temple, using the machine scattered around to conceal their presence. _'Praise, Dios. This may go smoothly.'_ She wasn't listening to the fifteen different kinds of directions being thrown at her. She already knew this whole world like the back of her hand and if she really wanted to get to Katrina's Klub House she could just transport her way there. "Well," she started as soon as she saw the door to the Chamber of the Fayth close behind Julia. "I believe that I will find my way. Thank you for your assistance." She turned on her heels and quickly exited the temple.

Slipping off to the side of the temple out of view of the public eye she scoured the area to make sure no one was around. Giving one more glance over the area she snapped her fingers and immediately was engulfed in a black cloud before disappearing completely from view.

---xXx---

"…the Hell?" Julia voiced when a cold chill ran down her spine and the torches in the Chamber went out.

"Sonya…" Tidus breathed as he too felt the room grow void of all warmth.

The trio stood in complete darkness for a few moments before the torches burst into black and indigo flames and in the center of the room Sonya appeared, her head tilted down, but her eyes burning into the occupants of the chamber. Julia back up against the wall of the chamber as she looked at the dark Angel. Her emerald eyes were looking at the trio almost unforgiving, as the intimidating sight of flames reflected in her eyes.

The Dark Angel grinned to herself as she looked at the faces of the two heirs. She always enjoyed instilling fear in others. However, her fun was shattered when Maximus muttered, "Nothing but a show off."

She glowered at her elemental counter part. "Jealous."

"Not in the least," he said as he pushed himself off the wall and stood straight. "Anyway," he said quickly, cutting off anything the dark angel may try to say, "Enough wasting time. Are we ready to seal this off and leave?"

"I was ready before you wasted my time by opening your mouth," the Dark Angel snidely remarked. "Let's do this…"

---xXx---

Ryu didn't think it would ever be possible, but he was thrilled that he wasn't able to help in this current situation. Spending extra quality time with Sonya was something he was never looking to do. So when he gets the chance to be away from her, it was a joyous occasion. He looked over at Kyria whom he was walking with. She had her thumbs hooked through the loops of her jeans as she casually walked beside him.

"So how many times have you been to Djose?" she asked quietly, her eye gazing across the area before them.

"Only a few times," he admitted. Though he preferred the larger cities, he'd occasionally found himself in the confines of the small village of D'jose. He glanced over his shoulder, feeling a bit uneasy. _'Why do I feel as if I'm being followed?' _He pondered it for a few moments before shrugging it off as mere paranoia from being in close contact with the Dark Angel.

---xXx---

Nick had been following the two heirs since the left the airship, and was just waiting for them to stray off the main road. He moved inconspicuously around people being sure to stay close to the blue eyed heirs. He grinned; he'd finally get to taste sweet revenge.

He lifted his shirt slightly, pulling the hand gun from the waist of his pants. "Simple and clean…" he muttered under his breath as he switched the gun's safety into the off position. He glanced at his hand and winced. _'It has to be..'_

The scar on his hand was red and almost appeared as if it was recently burned into his hand. The skin was raw and sensitive to touch. "I won't fail this time… this time I'll finish what I start."

He watched as they slowly moved around the side of the temple out of plain view of the native D'Josians. "Showtime…" He glanced around once to be sure no one was following him before he too slipped around the side of the temple. However, instead of just the two blue eyed heirs, another brunette male, along with Sonya was there.

He watched as the raven haired girl scowled and shoved the dirty blond heir out of her way and stalked off in Nick's direction. "Shit!" he cursed as he practically threw himself into the bushes lining the outside of the temple. He bit his tongue to keep the pain focused on that so he could ignore the pain he got as the thorns from the bushes lodged themselves in his arm, tearing at his skin as he fell. He remained quiet as he watched her walk by, her expression dark and her fists clenched at her sides.

Once she was out of ear shot, Nick climbed out of the bushed, muttering a few curses as he ripped his arm from the clutches of the bush. He glanced to his left and quickly found the two he had been following were gone. "Son of a…" Immediately snapping his head around, he looked to the right and saw Sonya's retreating form in the distance. "Well… she does still have my jacket.

Slipping his hand gun back into the waist of his pants, he sprinted off after Sonya. "Hey, Sonya!" he called out as he neared her. "Wait up!"

'_Who… the hell…?' _She jerked her head around, her raven hair falling over her face. She narrowed her eyes and immediately saw Nick. Surprised, not only from seeing Nick again, but from the way he looked, she quirked an eyebrow and waited for him to catch up. "You look like you just fought with a tree…" she raised her hand to his shoulder and brushed a leaf off it, "…and lost"

"Heh, bout that.." he ran his hand through his hair as he felt the blood begin to accumulate in his cheeks, slightly embarrassed that he didn't try to tidy up before running after her. Trying to change the subject he said, "You know… you ran off with my jacket the other night."

Crossing her arms over her stomach she leaned her weight on her right leg before saying, "And…?" Her eyes scanned over him, taking in all the small rips and cuts he had covering his body and clothes.

Noticing her eyes running over him, he moved his hand over his arm, trying to conceal the rather large gash in his arm from the incident with the bush. "Well… It is my favorite jacket, and I would like it back."

"I wasn't aware that such dispensable things as a jacket was of that great importance to you, that you felt the need to track me down, and fight with mother nature herself to get it back," She placed her hands on her hips. "It's sad and pathetic, personally, had I known you'd be so distraught without it, I'd have left it." She quirked an eyebrow before continuing, "I'll can get it now, if that'll put your mind at ease."

His expression dropped. He wanted to smack himself for looking so stupid. _'What the hell… why can't I impress her… ever!' _He cleared his throat before running his hand through his hair. "Well… I uh don't really want the jacket…but… You can't just take peoples stuff…"

She rolled her eyes and scoffed, "Well if that's it, I feel it is my time to leave." She turned on her heels and nonchalantly waved over her shoulder as she said, "Farewell."

Thinking fast so not to lose the opportunity he blurted out, "I just met you in that jacket, so obviously it has some good luck to it… I'd like it back."

She stopped in her tracked and shook her head. She knew where he was going with this… and it was pathetic how blatantly obvious he was making it. Under normal circumstances, Sonya would have told him to screw of, but something about being around him felt wrong, which was always a plus with her. Shrugging slightly and throwing her own personal rules to the wind, she turned to face him, "When and where…"

---xXx---

Nick was excited. Ok, so he didn't dispose of the heirs, but he was going to see Sonya again and… she was way better than any kill he could get. He grinned broadly as he looked at himself in the mirror, finally completely ready for that evening. He was just about ready to leave his hotel room when stars crossed his vision and a searing pain short through his head. "Machina!" he cried out before dropping to his knees, clutching his head in his hands.

He wasn't sure how he was in pain before he finally passed out, but when he awoken, he was in a strange place he'd never seen before. "…the hell?"

"Nikolas, Nikolas, Nikolas…." A soft condescending female voice spoke. The voice sent a chill up his back, it was her and if she was here that meant he was with her. He lifted his head to look at her, but the area around him was so densely shrouded in fog that all he could see was an outline of a female body. He saw a wave of blond hair cross his vision and he assumed that she had tossed her hair over her shoulder before she continued to speak. "Another wasted opportunity… I am unsure of how many more chance we can allow you."

"Underestimating the enemy is understandable, not even I was aware of their level of skill, but to not even try," a male voice spoke harshly from behind him. "That is unforgivable."

Nick looked down at the ground before him. He was trying to come up with an excuse to get him out of trouble, but he couldn't come up a single thing. They were right, he hadn't even really tried. He gave up on the heirs and followed after Sonya. He bowed his head to his superiors and whispered, "I apologize. You're right. It won't happen again." He looked up his eyes filled with determination. "I won't let them ruin your come back…"

---xXx---

Back on the airship, Maximus was making his way down the metallic hallway to the Dark Angel's quarters. He knew Sonya had a way of figuring things out and the fact that she said they would talk later meant it was something of a serious issue. Being Sonya, she thought very few things were of a serious matter, so if she thought this was important, then it was most likely something of a dire nature. She _never _agreed to talk to him, never mind in private. _'I know she's up, there is no way she wouldn't be… I just hope she's willing to talk to me about what she found out the other day.' _ He knocked on the door and waited for a response.

He stood at the door for a few minutes before he threw caution and better judgment to the wind and carefully pried open the door to her bedroom. "Sonya, dearest," he said cheerfully, before actually putting any part of his body inside the room, figuring that if the Angel was there she would quickly make it known be throwing a sharp object in that direction. When there were lethal objects hurtled at the door, he slowly peeked his head in the door and glanced around.

Nothing. There was nothing in the room. She hadn't even left any clothing on the floor. He frowned. She had left and Dios only knew when she would return. _'And if its because she met another guy, then she won't be home til some absurd hour tomorrow morning.' _ He groaned, he was convinced she enjoyed tormenting him anyway she could. _'Dios, she tortures me more when she's not around than when she's here actually threatening me with death' _"Damn it, Sonya…" he muttered under his breath as he started to walk out of the room. He hadn't even shut the door behind him when he came face to face with the navy blue haired thunder heiress. "Julia!" he exclaimed in surprise.

Julia had her arms placed on her lower back as she sent Maximus a questioning look. Locking eyes with the Angel, she inquired, "What are you doing?" The heiress tried to steal a glance into the bedroom of Sonya by standing on her tip toe and looking around the Angel, but to no avail

The silver eyed Angel quickly shut the door behind him as he sent her a smile and said, "I am merely telling dear Sonya that tomorrow it is my turn to train with you prospective heirs." With a bow of his head he excused himself from her presence and retreated to his own room.

---xXx---

The sun had well set and the darkness had fully settled in the area. Sonya casually strolled down a dirt path, jacket in arms. _'Why did I agree to meet up with him again?'_ She shook her head as she stopped at the said spot where she was to meet up with Nick. She crossed her arms and glanced around the area. No sign of him. She let an aggravated sigh escape her lips. _'If he wanted to meet with me, he should have made sure that he wasn't late, imbecile…' _

She didn't even know why she agreed to meet him. Normally it was a one shot deal and then she'd never see the guy again. She ran a hand through her hair as she contemplated leaving. _'Hm, maybe its because he was… oh how you say… talented.' _She grinned to herself, talented was kind of an understatement… but regardless she could use this as a way to release some of the tension she had been building up from dealing with the idiotic heirs.

However, this wasn't her normal way of working and the fact that she was given time to brood over it because he was late wasn't making her feel anymore confident about her choice.

She frowned as she crossed her arms over her chest, the jacket dangling over her shoulder. "This is moronic," she muttered to herself as she kicked the ground. "Why did I even agree to this? It's ludicrous." She stopped talking when she could sense the presence of another in the area. Lifting her head up, she peered in the direction the other person was in. "Took you long enough," she scowled when he was in ear shot.

Nick stopped moving as his eyes went wide and his heart skipped a beat. _'How did she…'_

"Anyway, here's your jacket," she growled as she stepped forward and shoved her hand out, slamming it into his chest, causing him to stumble back a bit. "Now if you'll excuse me," she turned her back to him and slowly began to walk away.

Quickly snapping out of the sudden shock from Sonya's brashness he reached out for her arm as he said, "Hey, now.. wait…" He didn't want to lose her now; I mean he didn't exactly ask her to meet him at midnight for no reason. She was awesome last time they were together and he had no problem having another go at that, but before his hand could even reach her a petite white hand was wrapped tightly around his wrist.

"Speak quickly," she spoke harshly. A few moments ago she would have been more than willing to stick around, but she didn't tolerate tardiness and she already decided her 'use 'em and lose 'em' policy would stand firm.

"I'm sorry I'm late," he said as he tried to wiggle his hand free from her grasp. He finally stopped trying to get free when her grip on his wrist grew so intense that he thought if she applied anymore pressure she'd snapped his wrist. "I tried to get here early," he started slowly feeling that he should choose his words carefully or he'd not have use of his hand for a while. "Never keep a lady waiting… never mind one as beautiful as you." The dark Angel scoffed as she shoved his hand away from her. Nick was half expecting her to storm off but she didn't.. Instead she stood with her arms crossed and back to him. That was a plus in his eyes, at least she'd listen to him. "I had gotten a call from my boss… and hey, you know the deal… but as soon as I was finished with that… I ran here."

"Hm…" she placed her hands on her hips and tapped her torso lightly. "I was half tempted to just ditch your jacket and leave."

"And I appreciate that you didn't," he cut in quickly.

She shrugged her shoulders and turned to look at him. "But in any case, you have your jacket now… so" she face forward again. "Farewell." She waved over her shoulder and began to walk away from him. She had wasted enough time waiting for him and that was bad enough. She shook her head in disappointment, dealing with these human was screwing with her head. She still wasn't sure why she hadn't just knocked him out and left.

"Hey, what's your rush?" he asked as he quickly followed after her. "I'm sure your other boyfriends won't miss you too much. Its late, I mean you can't have much else to do." He glanced at her, her eyes were set on the path before her as she strutted down the walkway. "Are you really that mad I was late?" A grin found its way to his face as he continued, "You could always just punish me for being a bad boy."

Sonya couldn't help but smirk. It was amusing to watch him try to gain her attention. She ran through her mind all the activities she needed to do the next day, nothing specifically important came to mind. Mentally shrugging she stopped and glanced at him. "Ok big boy, Sonya is going to teach you a lesson you'll never forget…"

---xXx---

A/N: -hides from readers- It wasn't that horrible right? I mean I did finish the chapter.. on a BUS using my laptop while going to Queens oo; Well the next chapter should be better and I hope it is… and I hope I get it out soon okies, well live, love, and review to0dles )

PS … Ok I actually finished this on the bus and I'm posting it on the Queen campus of my school. SO BE GRATEFUL –shakes her fist-


	13. Magical Mayhem

A/N: Heh…long time no see D: -dodges rotten fruit- x.x I know, I know… It's been ages / college takes up a lot of my free time that and I've been dating D wh00t lol o.O I'm also 19 now D: ew I'm old lol… Anywho o.O enjoy and please review I lurves chu!!

Disclaimer: Nothing has changed in the past few months D: I own OCs alone.

_**Magical Mayhem**_

The sun hadn't even risen before Sonya had left Nick peacefully slumbering in the bed of a cheap hotel. She wore a smirk on her lips as she sauntered off the main path to the docking center around the back of the Machine Faction HQ. She hadn't finished pressing in the code when the loading ramp lowered and out walked Maximus. _'Just what I need…' _She frowned and placed her hands on her hips as she watched him approach.

Maximus had always been an early riser, but even this was a little ridiculous for him. His arms were crossed and his silver eyes were narrowed to slits. He wasn't normally a light sleeper, but he wanted to know what happened so his body immediately reacted to her approaching aura. "Sonya…" he spoke sternly, his normal jovial attitude no where to be seen. "I've waiting long enough for you to tell me what you found out… now I want to know." At this time, he was before her. He had his head tilted downward and he tried to lock gazes with her.

Sonya, however, had other plans. Rolling her eyes, she placed a pale hand on his arm and pushed him aside. "Later." She spoke swiftly as she moved past him. She didn't get very far before Maximus' hand clamped down on her shoulder; halting her exit. "Maximus… let. Go. Of. Me." She growled as she slowly placed her hand on his wrist and removed it from her shoulder.

Grabbing her hand, he swiftly moved her arm around and pinned it behind her back. "We're talking now. And I mean _now_!"

Sonya's eye twitched. If she wasn't longing to rest and overly annoyed at the current situation, she might have noticed how utterly out of character it was for Maximus to be so assertive. She growled as she began to chant under her breath to dissipate from the area and into her room.

Quickly reacting to this, Maximus pulled her back to his chest and firmly placed a hand over her mouth. She wasn't going anywhere until they spoke. Regardless of her willingness or lack there of, she _would _tell him what she knew, and she'd tell him immediately. "Sonya, dearest," he leaned his head on her shoulder and whispered, "we're going to discuss it now…" He sent her a sickeningly pleasant smile as he finished, "Understand?"

'_This son of a…'_ Sonya stopped struggling to get away from Maximus as her free hand twitched from the small amount of dark energy that had begun to accumulate there.

If she were anyone else and Maximus were someone else, the lack of struggle would normally result in a loosening of the hold that was being applied to the captured person, however, this was Sonya, the daughter of darkness, princess of pandemonium, queen of chaos and her at ease was an indication that bad things were to come. Maximus tightened his hold on her and sent her an inquiring look. "Sony-"

"Maximus, Maximus, Maximus," Sonya said smugly as his hand fell limply from her mouth. "You of all people should know…" a smirk played on her lips as she stared ahead, "I'm very talented with my hands."

Maximus mentally cursed himself. He had left himself wide open for that move. Without any self control, the Angel's head fell forward. His silver eyes stared blankly at the hand completely submerged in his side. _'I can't believe I didn't think of that…'_

Sonya had used the materialized dark energy to allow her hand free passage into his body. From there she grabbed onto one of his main channels for magic, and more or less used that to paralyze him. The raven haired girl made special care to keep a tight hold on his Magic channel as she turned to face him. "Listen, idiot, and listen well I will say this _once._" She tightened her grip on his channel cutting off the use of his leg making his knees to give out on him and ultimately causing him to collapse to the floor. "I was in Dios' office, and I had looked through a few files." She held up her other hand; almost as if she knew that if he could have he would have vocalized some discontent. "I know… but they had fallen to the floor and I was picking them up." She paused a moment and raised her left hand to her face. A playfully dark glint came to her eyes as she placed her hand on Maximus's forehead. "This may hurt…" she paused as a grin played at her lips, "A lot…"

Instead of explaining what exactly happened in Dihoro, she decided to show him, rather than run the risk of someone over hearing it. She closed her eyes, concentrating on that specific moment in time before slamming her hand into his head and straight to his memory. She had done this maybe twice before, but it was never a transfer of her memories. This technique was something she had used to find the worst memory the captured person could have and make them relive it, over… and over again. The only downfall to this technique that she could not find a way around was the added fact that the one implementing the torture was forced to observe the event as well.

She winced slightly as the mixing of holy and dark magic caused her some slight pain. The transfer was rapid fire, the images and words flashed by in Maximus' mind and in the time span it takes to blink the memory had become his, just as if he was there. His eyes shot open once the images stopped flowing into his mind, and Sonya immediately retracted both her hands and placed them on the sides of her head. "Shit…" she cursed to herself as she fell to her knees from the back lash of that technique. The two types of magic had been mixing and while trying to transfer her own memories out, some of his magic broke through the barriers and coursed through her veins. Her emerald eyes were closed tightly as she waited for pain to die down.

Maximus on the other hand was still trying to regain control over his body as his body was slowly beginning to recover from the Sonya-made paralyzation his body had just been subjected to. Much like Sonya, the remnants of her magic was still lingering in his body causing him some discomfort as well. Deciding against making too many movements he allowed himself to lie on the floor and instead thought about what Sonya had just shown him. He could understand why she wouldn't want to talk about what she saw. Yes, it was serious, but talking about it made it real. _'If you think about it, you want to talk about it, if you talk about it; you believe it, if you believe it, then its really true.'_ A sigh escaped his lips as his mind continued to work in overdrive. _'I can understand that she doesn't want that to even be a possibility, but we need that to realize just how serious this situation is. I mean… I don't want Dios t-'_

He never did get to finish his thought, due in part to the shrill shriek of Rikku. "Oh My Machina!!" she glanced at Sonya's crouched form before she moved to Maximus' supine body. "What in the name of all that is cute and furry happened?" Her swirled eyes were wide with trepidation as she looked over the angel of light. To see one of the angels in this kind of position would be frightening enough, but both of them was horrify. The petite Al Bhed couldn't even begin to fathom what had managed to take both of them down.

"Don't sweat over it," came the cool voice of the thunder heiress. Slowly her body became visible as she moved out of the shadow of a rather large, overbearing tree. She kept her distance from the small group as she crossed her arms over her torso and continued to speak, "They did it to each." She glanced between to two motionless bodies of the angels. She had seen nothing but an awesome display of power from the dark one, which left her wondering just what the other could do, if anything at all. It always seemed as if Sonya was over powering him, though that might just be because he's not fighting back.

"Oh and Maximus…" Sonya stood from the floor and glanced in the direction of the light Angel, sending him a look that said 'one word to anyone and you'll die' before continuing "It should go without saying…"

"I know, I know…" was his quick reply before she stalked off into the confines of the airship. Maximus smiled awkwardly as the two ladies he had been left with. He wasn't about to try and explain what happened, not that he really could, but he couldn't just play it off as if nothing just occurred. Going with the normal, believable Sonya is crazy route he gave a shrug of his shoulders and said, "She's such a pleasant person in the morning." With those words spoken, he hopped to his feet, brushed himself off and quickly made his way past the women. Just before he disappeared from sight, he turned to Julia and smiled before saying, "You'll be happy to hear that you'll be training with me today… so you don't have to worry about meeting the sharp end of Sonya's blade once more." He didn't wait for a response; he merely smiled again and jogged down the path he was walking toward. He needed to do some thinking and the further from Sonya, the better.

Julia and Rikku watched Maximus' retreating form disappear into the horizon. When he was no longer visible, they exchanged glances. "Well that was odd," Julia spoke, her violet eye full of confusion.

Rikku giggled before wrapping her arm around the thunder heiress'. "That was normal, silly." She said as she started walking back to the ship with the heiress. "Wait til you train… this was _timid._ Especially compared to what you'll go through with Sonya."

The thunder heiress gave an awkward laugh; she wasn't looking forward to training, especially not after what she just saw.

---xXx---

A few hours after the incident with Sonya occurred, Maximus made his way back to the airship and decided that it was time to train with the heirs, the sooner he got that done, the faster he got to realize just how pathetic these gods really were. He bounded through the hall, banging on all the doors as he passed. "Heirs… time to train…" his voice changed slightly to a sing song tone as he continued, "Awake from your slumber, arise from your sleep, a new day is dawning…"

"I swear to Dios that if you don't stop singing, I'll make you freakin' weep." Sonya snapped from the doorway. Her hair was disheveled, random pieces sticking up here and there and her clothing was wrinkled, giving off more than a slight hint that she had just woken up and the expression she wore on her face said that she was anything but happy about it. "Now, you either shut up, or I'll rip your vocal cords out and choke you with them…" She narrowed her eyes. "Am I clear?"

"Of course, dearest," he said with a devious smirk. He paused for a moment before saying, "And might I add, you look absolutely stunning this morning." With no hesitation, he immediately disappeared in a display of brilliant white lights.

She quickly threw up her hand to shield her eyes from the blinding light as a hiss escaped from her lips. _'Idiot…'_ Bitter about seemingly being the only one out of her bed, she stalked down the hall, slamming her fist on every individual door shouting, "You have 15 minutes to be up, out of your room and outside, or I will kick these doors down and throw you out the window…" She didn't have to continue shouting, or make any noise at all; the mere sound of her _harmonic _voice sent all the heirs into high gear. She nodded to herself as a grin crossed her face while she listened to the rushed movements from inside the rooms. "Just like I'd expect…" she shook her head and swiftly moved back to the confines of her room. Now she had the chance for rest, and she'd take full advantage of it, besides she wanted to be at her best when she had her turn at _training _the heirs.

---xXx---

Maximus walked on the balls of his feet as he moved around the heirs. They seemed groggy, tired, and extremely unfocused. A small frown found its way to his face, if they couldn't focus it, they weren't going to be able to control their magic… he needed a way to wake them up, one that was quick, effective, and wouldn't disturb the sleeping _demon_ inside the airship. Coming up with a quick fix, that he was sure wouldn't be too pleasing to the heirs, but would work none the less, he turned to Tidus. "Blondie… you remember how to conjure up a spell, right?" The Blitzer nodded his head slowly as he involuntarily rubbed his forehead, remembering quite vividly what happened _last time_ he did that. The angel's lips spread into a grin as he placed his hands behind his back and said, "Well then, you'll go first… and to make it so your not lazy, I want you to form a sphere of water… over your own head." His silver eyes twinkled with amusement as he added, "That way there are no _mishaps_ if you mess up."

Tidus was skeptical about following the request of the Light Angel, but he really wasn't in the position to argue. Trying to concentrate he managed to form a small sphere of water between his two hands. Looking intently at the ball of water, he focused all his energy on levitating the sphere up over his head. Smiling with a look of achievement on his face he glanced at Maximus for some kind of approval.

The Angel of Light circled around the heirs, examining the small sphere of water. _'Too small…'_ Stopping in front of the blond, he rolled his wrist as he said, "Good, but not good enough." He turned away from the heir, not giving him another glance as he continued to move about the four heirs. "Bigger," was the only word her uttered as he stepped behind Ryu. Patting the wind god on the shoulder, he muttered a good morning, and with a motion to swift to be seen, he quickly pocketed off of the heir.

"I really don't kno-"

"Concentrate," Maximus snapped, cutting the Blitzer off mid-sentence. Under normal circumstances, he was the cheerful one of the group, but this was training, and he needed them to learn. "This is your element, it should bend and form at your will," he instructed as he stood a few feet behind the heir. "Just… concentrate."

'_Concentrate…' _a frown found its way to Tidus' face as he grumbled to himself. He never got a clear answer; everything was a vague statement that _supposedly_ cleared up everything. He let an exasperated sigh escape his lips; he wasn't left with any other option but to try and 'concentrate'. Closing his eyes, his mind focused slowly on the water sphere floating over his head. He imagined it contorting and growing in size, a smirk came to his mind, and he was getting the hang of this. A cough from the Angel of Light forced him to open his eyes. He found himself staring at a pair of questioning silver eyes.

"What are you doing? I said to concentrate… not sleep on your feet…" Maximus had a bewildered expression on his face. He could understand that most people concentrated better with their eye closed, but… the Blitzer… was just standing their, with a goofy grin. His eyes narrowed, as he sent him a suspicious look. _'Humans are so strange…' _"Try again…" He said as he crossed his arms. He didn't move from his spot before the heir, instead he watched him intently, hoping he'd get the hang of this before Ryu realized something was missing, or worse, Sonya woke from her slumber. A slight shudder ran along his spine. She wanted them after him, and if he said no… things would most likely not turn out pretty. "Will it to get bigger…"

Tidus could feel the blood begin to rush to his cheeks, he felt stupid. If it weren't bad enough that he was having trouble mastering this, the fact that Maximus was making a spectacle out of him, wasn't helping. Frowning he tried once more, this time, he tried talking to it. _'uhm… water?... can you do me a favor?' _He furrowed his brow, thank god Maximus couldn't read minds, cause the Blitzer felt stupid enough as is. He felt silly doing this, but it was the only thing that came to mind. '_Could you expand…please?' _he begged mentally, hoping that it would cooperate. At first with the exception of his embarrassment levels rising, nothing happened. He was ready to just give up when a sudden surge of confidence flowed through him. It was like a gate was opened within him, because the water god suddenly felt relaxed and at ease with what he was doing. A grin found its way to his lips, he no longer felt ashamed, nor did he really care what was going on around him. He wasn't sure why he felt this way, but he didn't care.

A satisfied smile found it way to Maximus' lips. _'He got it. He took the pleading, submissive route, and it worked…_' The orb of water grew, stretching over the heirs. As of that moment the sphere was hovering over Tidus and Kyria only continuing to grow in size. He glanced at the other heirs; they were all staring at the blonde's feat. "Now," he muttered to himself as he slipped the kukri from his pocket. Holding the weapon by the tip of the blade, he pulled his arm back and threw it at the orb. Throwing it with just the right amount of force, the blade spun and pierced through the sphere of water before continuing straight into a tree.

The disruption the blade made cause the sphere to burst, spouting out water in every direction, ultimately raining down on the heirs, soaking all four of them.

A frill shriek resounded from the mouth of the ice heiress, as the major part of the cold fluid poured down on her and Tidus. Her body completely tensed as she shut her eyes tightly, trying to get over the initial shock from the water.

"Are you crazy?!" Julia screamed as she pushed back the wet blue hair that was hanging in her face. Though she wasn't as wet as Kyria or Tidus, she was still wet and this fact was not something she was pleased with. It was one thing be wet in the Thunder Plains from the rain, but to be showered on by a spell gone awry was something else.

Cold blue eyes met cheerful silver ones as Ryu glowered at the angel. He couldn't find words to say but he was sure that a quick knee to the face would express his displeasure well enough. "Max…" he snarled through clenched teeth.

"Good Morning, heirs," Maximus said cheerfully as he waltzed over to the kukri that was planted in the nearby tree. Placing his hand on the hilt of the weapon, he gripped it firmly. "Needed to wake you up somehow, and I prefer not to threaten to kill you so early in the morning," he pulled the blade free from the bark and turned towards the heirs. "Not my forte," He smiled as his eyes ran over the bodies before him, none of them seemed thrilled to be in their current position, but that wasn't his concern. In all actuality if they had some kind of resentment, they might be able to actually get something done in this training. He tilted his head and held the kukri out by the blade. "I do believe this is yours, Ryu."

The wind god stared dumbfounded at the weapon that was being held out in front of him. "Ho…whe…wh… what?" He blinked a few times as he patted his sides counting the kukri that he currently had on him. _'five…six…seven…ei-"_ No, the eighth one was missing. He glanced up at Maximus who was wearing an expression one would see a child wear after he did some mischief. He opened his mouth to question him, but the heir of light was faster to respond.

"Over seven thousand years old, don't think for one minute I couldn't strip you down to nothing and be half way to the Moon Flow before you noticed, you'd only be fooling yourself," he said as he pushed the handle of the kukri into the abdomen of the wind god. He wore a chipper expression on his face as he watched the wind god return the kukri to its sheath. "Magic training," he started as he paced around the heir. "There are different ways to conjure up spells, sometimes its natural, sometimes it trained, other times you have to plead with it, much like what Tidus just did," he looked at blonde from the corner of his eye and laughed to himself as he observed the blood begin to rush to the Blitzer's cheeks again. "Oh, and of course respect and fear, a field Sonya excels in."

He continued to circle around the heirs, sizing them up. Each of them had a different element, and each of them had varying amounts of control on their specific element. This was something he wasn't looking forward to teaching, but it wasn't something he could waste time on. This was going to be fast paced teaching and hopefully, they'd catch on, keep up and grow in power. If not… well, he didn't want to think what would happen if they didn't.

"Julia, Tidus," he glanced between the two heirs. "Pair off, you two shall work together." He watched as the two heirs hesitated before stepping forward. Maximus' silver eyes ran over the heirs, watching their movements. Though they spoke no words, their body language was read loud and clear. Julia, though hesitant, was much more confident than Tidus. She kept her head up and her eyes focused on Maximus, Tidus on the other hand slouched forward a bit, his blue eyes looking past the silver eyed angel.

Just looking between the two he could tell this was going to be a disaster, he wasn't sure what level Julia was with her magic, but he knew that Tidus was far from well adjusted. An exasperated sigh escaped his lips, this was going to be disastrous, and he just hoped it wasn't too messy. "You two have opposing elements, therefore if you hit each other at the same speed, and velocity your attacks should ultimately cancel each other out." He paused and tilted his head with a grin. "Though I want to say Julia is on a higher level than Tidus, which is why I shall heal you through this training.

Blue eyes widened as the Blitzer turned his head and glanced at Julia. She was the only one he'd never seen fight, or do much at all. He didn't even know her personality; she didn't talk to anyone, and kept to herself… for all he knew she could be Sonya incarnate. He groaned, his magic skills were minimal and he had the oddest feeling he was about to get some electric shock therapy. "Well talk about an ice breaker," he smiled weakly at the blue haired girl. "Don't be too rough with me; I'm a fragile kind of guy."

A smirk played on the small lips of the girl as her violet eyes scanned over his physique. Tidus was a legend, he was a guardian to the High Summoner and his skills with a sword were renowned throughout Spira, his magic though, she wasn't so sure about. "Well it's nice to meet a famous guardian of the High Summoner." She gave a slight bow of her head before she shook her arms freely at her sides and flexed her fingers, "I was curious how I would hold up against one."

Tidus grinned sheepishly, letting out an uncomforted chuckle. His body tensed as he faced her. "Well I guess we should get st- AHH" Tidus didn't even get to finish his sentence as he let out a yelp and jump backwards, narrowly dodging the strike of bright, high voltage energy that slammed into the ground where he was standing moments ago. Eyes wide and arms stretched out to the side, Tidus stared with his mouth agape. "Talk about wasting no time."

"Hmpf," Julia smirked, a smug aura about her. Her fingers twitched as she prepped herself for another attack. Making a swift movement with her hand a loud crack sounded as the sky lit up.

Reflex alone was the only reason why Tidus was able to jump to the left, avoiding the high powered attack that slammed into the ground. "Holy!!" He frowned as he glanced at the area where he was previously standing. Wisps of smoke rose from the smoldering dirt. "This isn't endurance training," he said quickly as he flailed his arms a bit.

"Then attack back," the blue haired fighter said apathetically as she placed her hand on her hip, and lazily raised her hand over her head. "I must say, I'm kind of disappointed." She gave a bored shrug of her shoulders before bringing her hand down, another bolt of lightening coming down from the sky. Violet eyes watched with an amused glint as the Blitzer spun to the right. "Mine," was the inaudible whisper that escaped her lips. Sweeping her arm to the right, she guided the electrical attack in the direction of the water god.

Tidus' body flew through the air before slamming down hard on the ground after the attack connected with his chest. The attack was strong, it was enough to cause his some pain, but it lacked the raw voltage one could find in the Thunder Plains, and having been hit so many times with that, Tidus found that thought he was discomforted and slightly charged, he could walk away from it. Rising from the ground, he shook his head, hoping to rid himself of that after effect he felt from the attack. "Wasn't as bad as I was expecting..." he said with his usual cheesy grin.

"Enough!" Maximus said as he stepped between the two. He glanced between the two. Julia seemed to have a decent amount of control over her element, but lacked the raw desire to _kill_ someone. Tidus is a water element, lightening should, theoretically, harm him more than another element. "Julia we need to work on your force, voltage and overall power of attack." He turned his head towards Tidus. "Blondie…." He paused. "uh.. yeah…" He shook his head, brown hair falling over his eyes. This was going to be a lot of work. "Ryu, Kyria…" the silver eyed angel spoke without turned in their direction. "You two are up next."

In a few quick motions, too quick for anyone to see, Maximus was next to the blue eyed duo, his arms wrapped around the two's shoulders. "Now, I know Ryu is acquainted with Ria's magic, but I think Ryu would like to return the favor and show Ria just what he can…" he paused as a slight smirk came to his lips, "or can't… do."

The dirty blonde frowned. He had no way to use his element as a weapon. What was he going to do? Knock her over? Then what? "Wonderful…" he murmured as he moved away from the angel.

Ryu shook his hands loose trying to come up with some kind of game place. _What am I going to do? She's greater than me in magic…' _His thoughts paused as he furrowed his brow and frowned. _'She a better fighter in general…'_ "Crap…" he said in an almost inaudible whisper. Shaking his head, he shook free of his doubts and glances at the small brunette before him.

Blue eyes held traces of hesitation in them, Kyria wasn't happy about this. She didn't know how to start, not to mention she never used her magic as an offense, she had been trained to use it solely as a defensive measure. Thoughts were running through her head, each one more ridiculous than the last. She looked over at Ryu; he seemed just as baffled as she did.

Maximus looked between the two young adults and groaned. Neither was making a move and they didn't have time to waste with this. "You know," he said as he stepped forward, his arms were crossed over his chest and a frown played on his lips. "I may not be as malicious as Sonya, but don't think for one minute that I'm going to let you waste my time." He narrowed his eyes and glanced between the two. "You two either do something or … I shall be your opponent." His tone was stern and left no room for argument. Though it lacked the '_disobey and die'_ that everything Sonya did had, it had this underlying threat to it that made the two heirs not wish to challenge his words.

"You got it," Kyria spoke first as she crouched down and placed her hands on the ground.

Ryu blinked, unsure of what she was doing. "Shit!" he cried out as he treaded backwards. He didn't realize it right way but he was sure he'd seen this in Gagazet. Now it could be one of two attacks. It could be the one that she used to escape them when she iced the whole ground before running off, or that move she used on the brunette that had tried to kill him and Tidus. He wasn't positive but he had this unnerving feeling that it was the latter of the two. She was going to try and trap him, making him immobile, and thus ending the 'fight.'

He jogged backwards as fast as he could. If he got caught in that move he was screwed. He stumbled a bit as he moved, his mind was racing. What was he going to do? He needed some kind of plan, but that wasn't going to happen unless he bought himself some time and got off the ground. Looking towards the sky for an answer from above, he spotted an outstretched limb of a tree. _'Perfect'_ he thought as he pushed off the ground, into the air. He threw out his hand, reaching for the branch. _Miss. _"Crap!" he mentally cursed as he fell back to earth. His mind cursed louder as he landed near the edge of the quick paced ice attack.

He hadn't been on the ground for four seconds before he practically threw himself back into the air, desperately reaching for tree extension. "Shit!" He almost had it. As he made his decent again, he prepared to catapult himself back up, sure that this time he'd get a hold on the branch. With no hesitation, the minute his feet hit the ground, he pushed back up into the air. "Finally," a breath of relief came to him as he grasped firmly on the branch and pulled himself up into the tree.

Kyria frowned; it wasn't as easy as she had hoped. She had captured him so easily on Gagazet, the same with the other brunette that they encountered, though this was different circumstances. _'I wonder…'_ She didn't waste much time before sprinting towards the tree. She turned her head upward and smirked, "Don't get comfortable," she warned as she placed her hands on the bark of the tree. Almost instantaneously the wood began to shimmer from the crystallized texture that began to coat it.

Ryu's mouth dropped. He wanted to smack himself; he never even gave that a thought. If Kyria could freeze the ground, why wouldn't she be able to freeze a tree? He didn't get much time to think anything through before he was once again forced to the ground. He leapt from the tree branch, twisting through the air so that he was facing her. His feet hit the ice, and much like he expecting he slid back a good six feet before finally stopping, allowing him to make his next move.

If he wanted to show that he wasn't worthless he was going to have to turn this fight around, entirely. It was his turn to go on the offensive, no more sitting in the back waiting for things to happen. Though… he wasn't sure just how to go about using wind as an attack. Not giving it much thought he swept his hand upward. "Gimme a break," he spoke as his clothing billowed as a strong gust of wind flew past him and into the petite body frame of Kyria.

Caught off guard and slightly confused, Kyria tried her best to turn around to at least face her attacker, but to no avail. The wind was forcefully pushing her chest up against the tree and she was having extreme difficulty moving from that spot. Kyria's body pressed hard against the tree. "Damn," she chastised herself. She didn't expect the wind to be as strong as it was. Given though, that's all it was… a rather strong wind, but still just a gust of wind. Countering this wouldn't be hard, she just needed something large and solid to block it. Like… a tree. Shimmying her way around the tree she allowed herself to tumble to the floor. When she was far enough away so that the wind could not affect her she stood and brushed herself off.

She thought about the situation. She needed to break through this defensive wall of wind. Not only that but she needed to stay out there long enough to freeze him in his tracks. Keeping her position behind the tree, she treaded back a bit before sprinting forward. _'I hope this works…'_ She darted out from calm area behind the tree and into the fierce winds. Slipping her left arm around her back, her hand gripped a metal handle as she pushed off the ground and threw herself forward. Pulling the metallic weapon from its holder, she raised it into the air before slamming it into the icy ground. Forcibly cracking the ice, she wedged her weapon into the ice in hopes it would help to keep her from getting pushed back.

With a deadly grip that was turning her knuckles white, Kyria struggled to stay in a stationary position. Hitting her free hand down on the already ice covered ground, a new sheet of crystallized water spread across quickly, trapping the wind god. "Heh," the brunette ice heiress smirked. Another thought quickly popped into her head. _'Wind really isn't all that hard to counter…'_ Focusing her powers, a small block of ice jutted up from the ground. _'Here goes nothing'_ was her thoughts as she placed a foot on the block and pushed off with all her strength sliding across the ice on her stomach right towards the wind god.

Unfortunately for Ryu, he had become so frantic in breaking free of his current situation, he failed to see what Kyria was doing. By the time he noticed her, she was lying at his feet, her hands around his ankles and nice frosty layer was covering his legs. "Hell…" he looked down at her. She wore that playful smirk on her lips that she had when they first met and he quickly knew why. In his momentary lapse of confidence, he had let his arms drop to his sides, leaving them wide open to get pulled into Kyria's attack. His hands were frozen to his sides. He was done.

It was a mixture of disappointment and pride that Maximus felt. He was proud that Kyria and Ryu both worked past initial problems. He was disappointed though, at the sloppy formation and the fact that Ryu's concentration was so easily broken. Not to mention, the wind god seemed to lack the knowledge of just how powerful his element could be. He sighed. This spar was over, Kyria was the winner and training was done for the day. Sonya would be looking to take them next and if they weren't allowed to rest so they were at their best with her… they'd probably come back missing some body parts.

With a shake of his head he forced a smile to his face and brought his hands together as he spoke, "Very well done for a first try. We're finished here today. We'll pick up again tomorrow and the next… and the next day… and… well you get the point." Extending a hand to the brunette heiress, he lifted her off the ground as she released her grasp on the wind heir. "Besides, you need to rest… Sonya wants to train with you later." No sooner had the words left his mouth did he feel a chill run along his spine. She might be able to sneak up on the heirs but her intense dark aura was something he could feel for miles and with such a high intensity, he knew she was nearby. "Afternoon, Sonya," he said without turning around. After a few moments Maximus did turn in the direction he felt her aura from, wondering if she had seen the heirs' pathetic display of magical powers or if she just felt it necessary to drop by. He didn't ask though, it wasn't important… she knew as well as he did, their skills lacked immensely.

Seeming to materialize from the shadows, death's mistress stepped out into view. Her emerald eyes seemed to glare at everyone and no one at the same time. Her presence brought a silence to the whole group as their eyes fell on her. No one spoke, they all awaited her words.

"Two hours," was her cold greeting as she placed her hands on her hips. The corner of her mouth turn slightly upward as a malicious glint came to her eyes. "Then… you're mine."

A/N: The End x.x I hope you enjoyed D: Review Please '


	14. Light after Darkness

Author's Note: I had this chapter written really quickly after the last one was posted. I held out on it til I had a good chunk of the next chapter written. Which is up to page 11 P so yay! Anywho I know I lost alot of reviewers going on that huge ass Hiatus x.x I apologize... Anywho things are good and I figured while I'm in a good mood and cutting class -shifty eyes- I'd post the chapter Enjoy

* * *

**Light comes After Dark**.

Two hours wasn't nearly enough time to prep for the torture they were about to face. Training with Sonya was the equivalent of being tossed into the den of a Tonberry unarmed, and to be quite frank, the heirs would probably have an easier time trying to tame the wild fiend than to impress Sonya.

Currently, Julia was standing besides Kyria who was knocking on Tidus' bedroom door, hoping to wake him before Sonya went for him. The brunette rubbed the back of her head, surprised that she still even had hair there. She cringed as she reminisced about the encounter she just had with Sonya. Apparently, by two hours she meant 1 and a half. Anything other than more or less just being ready for the last thirty minutes was unacceptable. "Last time I try to get in a quick shower before training," the heiress muttered to herself as she hit her fist against the metal door again. Groaning, she hated to think what was going to happen to the Blitzer if he didn't get out of bed, _now_.

She turned to Julia and gave a slight shrug of her shoulders. "Not much I can do…" She moved past Julia and decided it'd be a good idea to move outdoors so they'd be ready to go. "Right-o, lets go then," she tilted her head and smiled before moving away from his room and down the hall. No sooner had they given up on the Blitzer did they spot the pale form of Sonya stalking down the hallway.

Sonya walked past the two heiresses and straight toward Tidus' bedroom. Tardiness was something she would not tolerate and she was going to ensure that his arrival didn't even have the opportunity to be late. She stopped in front of his door and raised her hand up before slamming it down on the metallic barrier. She hit the door so hard that the sound resounded through the room, leaving no room for the Blitzer to sleep through it.

Tidus jumped up out of his bed. He jerked his head around, his heart pounding. It took him a minute to realize where he was, and another to realize that at the current moment, the crazed dark angel was banging on his door. His eyes widened as the _pleasant_ voice of Sonya echoed through his room. "You have ten minutes, blondie, after that I am breaking this door down and dragging you out by your hair."

He shuddered as he stumbled over his words, "Be right there…"

---xXx---

It didn't take long for all the heirs to assemble down at the calm lands. The four heirs stood in a diamond formation around Sonya, the two girls standing on opposing sides and the two boys were standing on opposing sides. Each of the heirs were standing up right, their muscles tense, not only out of anxiety but trepidation. Ryu and Kyria had "trained" with her before, but Tidus and Julia were completely out of the loop. Julia, specifically. The most she'd experienced was the short bit of fighting she went through on the Thunder Plains. And the memory of getting impaled by the black blade that was precariously hanging at the waist of Sonya still made her cringe.

"So you are all gods. You have "_special_" traits that make you important," emerald eyes rolled as she shook her head. Sonya had all she could do not to lash into how pathetic they were, she needed to train them, not belittle their shortcomings. "Well, that's wonderful and stuff, however," she tilted her head upward and grinned, "I don't give a crap." Shaking her hands at her sides she averted her attention back to the heirs, "Now, I think the best course of action would be a two on one scheme. If all four of you come at me at once, you'll end up hurting yourself." She stopped speaking, and took a moment to look at each of the heirs. Kyria and Ryu already proved to be nothing short of a failing team, so how should she pair them off?

"Julia and Kyria…" She look at the two girls, a glint of malice in her eyes. "You two are up first." The words barely left her mouth before Ryu and Tidus began back treading away from the three females.

Julia's eyes widened, why did she have to go first? She was hoping to be able to observe how the dark angel worked before getting thrown into the fray. Especially after being completely over powered last time, she wasn't excited about this. She reached her arm over her back and pulled free her duel bladed staff. She glanced over to Kyria who was currently armed with two lengthy pieces of metal. _'Well she fights at close range…' _Her thought were interrupted though by Sonya's brash tone.

"Make a move, or I'll come at you."

Julia's attention was forced back to the dark angel. She was standing there, her arms crossed and she was facing neither Kyria nor Julia. The thunder heiress was bewildered. She couldn't possible want them to attack her while she was unarmed and not looking… could she?

The brunette ice heiress wasted no more time. She flicked open both her fans and tossed them at the angel, one followed by another as she sprinted off after them. She remembered from last time, Sonya was too swift to get hit by anything thrown at her, but…

Sonya side stepped and ducked the two projectiles with ease, her back still turned to the ice heiress.

The heirs stared at the two females. Kyria had sprinted after her fans, when she got close to Sonya, she pushed off of the ground and threw out her leg, looking to land a kick right to the back of the head of the dark angel.

Kyria thought she had her, she'd finally land a hit on Sonya. The raven haired dark being didn't seem to notice the approaching heiress. Originally Kyria thought it would be a little too easy but, maybe Sonya just wasn't expecting it. "Heh…" A smirked crossed Kyria face as she was about to deal the blow.

Her cocky demeanor was crushed though when Sonya turned and faced her. Placing one hand on the heiress' ankle and the other by her knee, Sonya tightened her grip and spoke harshly, "Pitiful." With a rough jerk she flung the heiress to the side. Kyria's body slammed into the ground and rolled a few feet before finally coming to a stop. "Next" Sonya said as she turned her eyes towards Julia.

The thunder heiress shuddered. _'She just threw Kyria like a rag doll…'_ Spiraled violet eyes were locked on the cold emerald orbs staring out from the petite girl. _'I don't get… how some one so small, has so much physical power.'_ The grip on her staff tightened as she slowly moved one leg back, slightly bending her knee. Lifting her staff up, holding it horizontally, she finished her defensive stance. She knew that attacking head on wasn't going to work, though she doubted very much defensive would be very different, she figured it would be the best course of action.

Sonya quirked an eyebrow. The girl was smart enough to know better than to run head on at Sonya, though that could be just an apprehensive feeling left over from the last encounter they had, regardless though, to let Sonya attack first, wasn't exactly the wisest course of action either. "This training session is proving to be nothing more than a waste of my time," was the only thing she spoke before dashing at the Al Bhed heiress.

In what seemed to only be two steps, Sonya was before Julia. "Machina!" Julia shouted as she stumbled back in surprise and in a move of desperation she swung her staff at the dark angel.

"_Denied_," Sonya snidely remarked as she blocked the swing with the palm of her hand. Closing her hand around the staff, she held on tightly to the weapon as she jerked it forward. Just as she expected, Julia was too frightened and stunned to release the weapon. She stumbled forward and straight into an oncoming fist. With enough force to knock a tooth from the mouth of a Shoopuff, Sonya's hit sent Julia sprawling to the floor. "Pathetic," Sonya scoffed as she stepped towards Julia. Standing over the heiress she looked down at her in disdain. Placing a boot covered foot to the throat of the blue haired goddess; she twirled the staff and placed the tip of the blade to the center of her chest. "And… you died."

Feeble was an understatement to describe the performance of the two heiresses. Both were taken out in a matter of moments and neither showed any kind of resistance for the angel, not that she really expected any. After all, being over seven thousand years old, she expected to dominate them from the beginning. Tossing the staff aside she moved her hands to her temples, massaging them. "I shouldn't even have to tell you that it is your turn."

The two males couldn't get ready fast enough. They scrambled over to where Sonya was and just awaited some kind of instructions. Sonya glanced at the pair and sneered. "Do I have to tell you to go?" When neither Tidus nor Ryu moved she sneered, "_Move_!"

Unlike Kyria and Julia, Ryu and Tidus had tried to come up with some kind of plan that they hoped would work. Instead of attacking one at a time they were going to go at her together. Now Ryu knew she was capable of evading all the attacks, but this was better than being forced to go one on one. Ryu looked towards Tidus who silently signaled to move with a nod of his head. Charging forward they went at the dark angel from two sides. Ryu had a set of kukri pulled and Tidus had his long sword drawn.

Sonya grinned, they were trying to overwhelm her. It would be a good plan if they were going against a normal person, however, they weren't going against a normal person, this was Sonya and she wasn't about to be shown up by two snot nosed runts with a blade. She stole a glance between the two, Tidus ran faster than Ryu, he'd reach her first. She smirked as the water heir brought his sword down at her. "Too slow," she commented as she stepped to the side and in one quick motion placed her foot on the blunt side of the blade and jammed it into the ground. Not hesitating, she pushed off the blade, extending her foot as she flipped backwards. Catching the heir in the jaw with her foot his head jerked back with such a force that he was sure she was attempting to snap his neck.

Pulling her legs closer to her chest, she finished the flip and landed facing Ryu's back. She let out a soft laugh that caused the muscles in Ryu's body to tense up. "One by one," she whispered she grasped the back of his neck, "They all fall down." Lifting his body up off the ground she carelessly threw him forward towards his fallen comrade.

"I won't say I'm surprised, nor disappointed," she said as she looked around at the heirs scattered about the grounds of the Calm Lands. "It was just as I expected. Pathetic, feeble, pitiful. Those are all _understatements_ of how you performed here today." Her lips curved downward into a frown, outwardly expressing her displeasure in the heirs. "I will say that, you better pick up the slack. I have yet to use a weapon on any of you, and you have yet to make me move more than three feet from where I originally was standing." She was annoyed. This was vitally important. Not for Spira, but for her. She could care less what happened to Spira and its inhabitants but her life was on the line and that was something she didn't want to fool around with. And it'd be a cold day in hell before she let some ingrate human be the cause of her demise.

She was in the middle of her lecture when Tidus cut her off mid-sentence. "But, you can't possibly expect much of us… you're _a lot_ older than us." The sharp look from Sonya immediately sent the blonde stuttering, looking for a way to reword his sentence. "Well.. you see… what I mean is…" He blinked a few times, his mind working as rapidly as possible. "You've been around longer than us, meaning... your more experienced!"

Sonya clenched her fists and bit her tongue, getting mad now would just be a waste. She spat at the ground before saying, "I don't care how experienced I am, the fact that you all suck isn't excusable. You'll learn, and you'll learn quickly, or you'll die trying." She sauntered over towards the Blitzer and grabbed the front of his shirt. Pulling him to eye level with her she glared at him, "Do I make myself clear?"

He nodded rapidly, trepidation lacing his cerulean colored eyes. "Crystal."

A sly grin crossed her face as she forcefully threw him back down to the ground. They would learn to fight, even if she had to beat it into them. _'By the time I'm done with them, they may be horribly scarred, but they will damn well be able to hold their own in a battle.' _ She opened her mouth to continue her tirade when a piercing scream sliced through the sky. Her head jerked up, as she averted her attention away from the heirs.

The four heirs turned their gazes towards Sonya, waiting to see how she would respond. Tidus was currently fighting the urge to jump up and run in the direction from with the scream came. His muscled twitched, waiting to jump into action. Though only a few moments passed, it seemed like an eternity before Sonya looked back at the group. Her emerald eyes shone with anticipation and the right side of her mouth turned up into a smirk. "Let's test you out in real time."

That was all Tidus needed to hear before he leapt from the ground and sprinted off ahead of the group. He was quickly followed by Ryu, Kyria, and Julia. They all moved as fast as they could. Though the heirs and the dark angel were going for different reasons, Sonya looking for a fight, and the heirs looking to help, they all knew the sooner they got there, the better.

Julia darted past the group, catching up to Tidus quickly. She didn't say anything as they ran down the side path towards the cavern where the stolen Fayth had been stowed away long ago. Tidus looked over at Julia, "You don't think it has something to do with Yojimbo, do you?"

Spiraled eyes met cerulean as she spoke, "Does it matter?"

He shook his head, it didn't. Whatever it was, they would do whatever necessary to help whoever was in need…

Regardless that all four of the heirs had ran off leaving Sonya behind, by the time they found someone, Sonya was already standing off to the side, arms crossed. "Took you long enough." Her words were sharp, as she spun around, turning her body towards the mouth of the cavern. "It's in here. Be on your guard." That was the only thing she said to them before she stepped into the cave.

Ryu and Kyria moved up next to Julia and Tidus before glancing into the dark cave. "Alright, we should move in, before Sonya just wipes out every living in there," Ryu said as he slipped a kukri from its scabbard and moved forward.

It didn't take long to catch up to Sonya, she was leaning up against the wall of the cave right next to the illuminated marker on the floor. She had a foot up against the wall, with her blade drawn. She held her blade in the right hand, and used it to support some of her weight. "I could have gone and taken care of it myself, but… I want you to get some experience, and… I want you to _watch _me in action."

Ryu shuddered as the words flowed from her mouth, he remembered all to well what it was like to watch her fight, though he was sure that the awesome display of power was no where near her full potential. He exchanged glances with the others as he watched Sonya step foot onto the transporter and disappear from view. "Alright, then," Tidus said breaking the silence. "Let's go." The others nodded and followed after the Angel.

---xXx---

Towering over Sonya by at least a foot and a half stood the selfish samurai Fayth, Yojimbo. He was the best swordsman to ever grace Spira, though the heirs were getting the feeling Sonya could probably challenge that. Tidus cringed, this wasn't the first time he had to fight him, and he was yet again wondering why the Fayth weren't able to be left to rest in peace. He frowned, his fist clenched at his sides, "Why won't they just let you die?" He cried out.

Sonya's head jerk around to look at the blond. _'What… an… idiot.'_ She wanted to smack him. "If he won't _stay_ dead, then you obviously aren't killing him right." A smirk crossed her face as she lifted the black blade and placed it on her shoulder. "Instead of making it so he can't move…" her head turned back towards the Fayth who seemed to be sizing up the group, deciding which move to make. "Make it so there is _nothing_ left."

The words barely left her mouth when Yojimbo decided to move. In the blink of an eye the sound of two blades clashing echoed through the dank chamber. Sonya's expression remained unphased as she held the ebony colored blade in one hand. He was experienced, so he was good with a sword, but Sonya was faster. Yojimbo pressed down hard on his Wakazashi, trying to offset the balance of the raven haired girl. Still holding the blade with one hand, Sonya glanced up at the swordsman. "Shouldn't the _greatest swordsman ever_ know better than to recklessly throw himself into battle?" The heirs watched in awe as Oblivion Rapier began to glow a dark indigo color. "Heh," was the only sound Sonya made as she pushed her blade forward, forcing the aeon back.

Tidus watched carefully, he knew Sonya was strong. He was beyond aware that she was capable of doing immense damage, and that she held an intense amount of power, but watching her so easily over power something that had given he and everyone else a run for their gil just a few years ago put things into a realistic perspective. Sonya was beyond anything they've ever seen before…

As she expected, Yojimbo was just trying to get a feel for her. _'He probably sensed the difference in auras.' _ Her emerald eyes watched as his hand slipped from view. _'He won't make the mistake of attacking me head on again…'_ "Be alert." She demanded as she fell back a few feet. If she wanted to, she could end this quickly, but the heirs needed some kind of experience outside of getting tossed around by her, and this was a perfect opportunity.

There alertness was tested not long after she spoke when Yojimbo's arm came back into view and immediately a dozen throwing stars came at them. Sonya merely caught the two that came at her and glanced at the others.

Kyria grabbed Ryu and pulled him behind the wall of ice she made to block the shuriken. Tidus jumped back and twisted to the side to avoid the stars thrown at him, and Julia… well Julia was currently pushed up against the wall of the cavern, with Sonya's hand wrapped around her throat. "I said… be alert." She snarled as she let the heiress drop to the ground.

Sonya spun to the right, dodging the kunai that had been deflected in her direction. She moved about the back of the cavern, observing the heirs. As much as it hurt her to even contemplate this, she had to stand down and let them have a go with the swordsman. He may not be the best, hell he wasn't even the second best, but he was far from a pushover and she was sure she'd be needed soon enough.

Julia rolled to the side, avoiding all the projectiles that were flying every which way. Grabbing her long staff, she scrambled to get up off the floor. It would appear that Yojimbo had chosen to move his attention to her, and sitting on the floor would only get her killed. Though surviving wasn't going to be as easy as all that. Yojimbo slammed his foot down onto the floor, sending a large tremor through the room, nearly knocking all his opponents over. _'Machina…This is going to be far from simple…'_ Julia thought as she stuck the pointed end of her staff in the ground in an attempt to gain some balance.

Tidus ran forward, deciding that he could most likely land a hit when the body guard was distracted. Being so agile from Blitz Ball, Tidus closed the gap between the two quickly. Pushing any doubts that he had into the back of his mind, he jumped up into the air and brought his sword down, looking to jam the blade into the shoulder of the aeon. This thought was crush though when the short sword Yojimbo wielded met Tidus'. The water god didn't even have time to react before he was literally thrown into the opposing wall.

"Tidus!" Kyria screamed as she watched the heir sail by. Hitting the wall with enough force that it shook loose a few stone from above, Kyria and Ryu were forced to tread back to avoid getting knocked out by the falling rocks. The fallen debris caused a bit of dust to rise up into the air, making the visibility next to nothing.

'_If the cave being dark wasn't bad enough…' _ Julia frowned as she twirled her staff in her hands. Holding it out horizontally, the staff seemed to shine. With electricity running from her hands into her blade, she illuminated a bit of the surrounding area. This happened just in time to see three small kunai coming in her direction. Instinctively ducking down to dodge them, she waited till they passed over her before catapulting herself at the aeon. The metal staff and the short sword met with clash. The energy flowed from one weapon into the other, and had Julia been stronger it may have caused some more damage. However, Yojimbo merely pushed the heiress back, throwing her hard down to the ground. Wincing as she opened her eyes, Julia looked up at the sharp point of the Wakazashi coming straight for her chest.

Kyria didn't even have time to think, she immediately slapped her hands on the ground, causing the top layer to freeze over. "A little help Ryu…"

He nodded quickly as he conjured up a spell that quickly that blew the heiress under the aeon's legs and to safety. "That was close," he noted as he looked at Yojimbo's blade sticking up out from the ground.

"Idiot, move!" came the sharp command of Sonya, which immediately caught the attention of the blue eyed heirs. Jerking their heads in the direction of Yojimbo, their eyes came to see a few more long range projectiles heading their way.

"Watch out!" Ryu said as he shoved Kyria out of harms way, only putting himself into a more dangerous situation.

"Dios!" Sonya cried out as she leapt over the heiress that he been pushed her way. Landing she slipped a bit on the ice covered ground before she regained her balance. Ripping Oblivion Rapier from its sheath, she emitted a low growl before she turned to face Yojimbo.

Crimson liquid ran from his right arm, compliments of a dagger that had grazed his arm. "Damn it," he muttered under his breath as he pulled his arm closer to examine it the best he could. This however, left him vulnerable to the arm sweep that caught him right in the ribs and threw him right at Sonya.

Emerald eyes widened considerably as they locked on the air born form of Ryu. "Shit!" she cried as she tried to move out of the way. However, with the mixture of bad timing, shock, and the ice covered ground, the only thing the dark Angel could do was make it so the heir didn't get impaled by her blade when he collided into her.

Sonya's head, along with the rest of her body, slammed into the stone wall. She let a few curses flow from her mouth as she dropped to the floor, wind heir in lap. Blinking her eyes a few times, still shocked that she'd been caught off guard, she failed to notice the approaching aeon. "Get off of me, idiot!" She forcefully shoved Ryu from her lap and reached for her blade so that she could defend herself. However, just as she her petite ivory hand landed on the ebony blade, a glimmer of silver darted past her. _'… Oh for the love of Dios… not him.'_

Clenching her teeth together, she grasped Oblivion Rapier and stood, her back still to the aeon. She didn't have to turn around to know that things were taken care of and the phrase that she heard next was the clarification that it was _him._

"Hiten Mitsurugi Style Kuzu Ryu Sen!" shouted the unidentified voice from behind Sonya. The dark angel quickly threw up her arm to shield her eyes from what was to come next. A bright flash that filled the chamber as the sounds of two blades clashing resounded through the cavern.

It didn't take long for the light to fade, and soon the area was once again shrouded in darkness and was as quiet as could be. Or was…

"I see someone is getting rusty with age," the voice said, growing louder as the sentence drew on.

"Bite me, dress boy," Sonya snapped as she whirled around to face the voice. "Why don't you take that _shimmering silver _hairof yoursand go buy a pair of pants, fag."

"Harsh words, Sonya. Especially when directed to the person who just helped you," he slipped his sword into the sheath that rested near the waist band of his kimono.

She scoffed. "Help?" With a scowl on her lips she glowered at him, "I don't need your help… I am an exceptional warrior. You'd do well to remember that."

"Oh I can see that, oh great warrior, it shows… especially through your pupils," he motioned to the heirs scattered along the ground, pained moans escaping their lips every so often. "They really exemplify your expertise." He smirked to himself and before Sonya even had the chance to react he exited the dank cave as quickly as he entered.

Her fists were clenched at her sides and her jaw was locked shut. She was seething with anger. Not only had she just been shown up by the silver haired pretty boy, she was further embarrassed by the lack of skills the heirs showed. It was one thing for her to be forced to deal with them, it was another when her pride was at stake.

"Get up," she growled as she glanced around the dark room. "NOW!"

---xXx---

She had managed to not rip their heads off while she they were exiting the winding cave and they were now out in the open plains of the Calm Lands. "Your lack of skills disgust me," she spat as she looked around the room. "That was beyond pitiful. I don't think you even landed a single attack."

"Who was that guy?" Tidus blurted out.

Sonya's eye twitched. She ignored his inquiry and continued to speak. "You can't hit me without weapons, you can't hit an aeon… how the hell do you expect to take on a GOD?!" She looked at each of them, none of them seemed to be paying much of any attention. Her left eye twitched again. "Are you listening to me?"

"What exactly did he use to kill him… that was an impressive move…" Julia spoke up from the right of the dark angel.

Gritting her teeth Sonya responded, "He is a master swordsman, specializes in agility as well. He used the unnatural god-like speeds of Hiten Mitsurugi Style and use it to strike all nine of the targets in swordsmanship simultaneously." She looked around at the group, bewildered expressions met her. Groaning she continued, "In swordsmanship there are nine targets that all attacks and defenses are based around. Right shoulder, left shoulder, right arm, leftbarm, right wrist, left wrist, in between the legs, the chest, and the head. Someone who could attack all nine at once has an attack that is impossible to defend against."

"Why didn't you use it?" Tidus innocently asked, his head tilted to the side.

Sonya's boiling point was over the top. She was beyond pissed now. "Because I was watching you IDIOTS FAIL AT FIGHTING!" She jerked her head around and looked at each of them. They didn't even seem to be phased by her words. "Do you not take my training seriously?!"

"Well… we have plenty of time, right? We still have to get the other heirs, right?" Kyria meekly questioned from the side.

"So because we don't have all the heirs… you don't have to work your hardest?" Her mental voice that told her not to kill the heirs was slowly fading into the background. They were doing it again. They were trying to hurt her pride. "Do you all think this is some kind of joke?!" she screamed, her eyes turning dark. She stood in the center of the four heirs. Her hands were shaking from the intense anger that was building up. None of the heirs were taking this seriously, and she had just about lost all restraints on her anger. "Because instead of just beating you all until you can defend yourselves, I'm a joke? This isn't serious?" Her eye twitched as the sky-darkened considerable. "Let me tell you, that is _not _the case"

"Whoa, Sonya… calm down," Julia said with a smirk. "The throbbing vein in your forehead isn't very becoming."

The other three heirs glanced at Sonya, waiting for a smart-ass reply, but none came. She didn't respond, or even turn around to glare at the thunder god, something that left the heirs with an uneasy feeling. Instead, she merely threw out her hand sending a huge wave of dark energy hurtling straight for the heiress. Catching her square in the chest, she was catapulted back into the wall of the chasm. Her head made contact with the rock with a sickeningly loud _thud,_ before she fell to the ground, unconscious.

She looked around at the remaining three heirs. Her emerald eyes burned with a sense of blood lust. "Next?" she said calmly. She glanced each of their faces, her hands not once reaching for her weapons. This bothered the trio more than that look in her eyes, because at least if she was going to use her weapons they had some chance of defending themselves, even if it were only for a few minutes. But with magic, none of them, with maybe the exception of Kyria, were all that experienced. Though even Kyria had her limits and she wouldn't be able to hold out long against Sonya.

"Sonya… we don't want to fight you like this…" Tidus said stepping away from the angel.

Ryu sent him a look before muttering, "That's a _huge_ understatement."

"Too bad," she growled as she levitated the blond into the air. Tidus frantically looked around. He was reaching an extremely high altitude and if she dropped him, there was no doubt in his mind that it would be fatal. However, that wasn't his biggest concern. Soon after he was lifted into the air he felt a pressure closing around his throat, cutting off his air supply.

"Sonya, stop this," Ryu said as he came at her.

His attempts, however, were foiled when a hand clasped around his throat, halting his movements. The dark haired angel jerked her head in the direction of the dirty blond. "You have something to say, _Dearest_ Ryu?"

His eyes widened, that wasn't something he wanted to hear. He wasn't sure if the others had picked up on this, but Sonya only addressed Maximus as dearest and it was normally before something bad occurred. "Nope… I'm pretty good," he choked out as best he could.

"Are you sure about that? Because if I'm not mistaken, you said something bout stopping this," she tightened her grip around his throat before glancing up at the blond suspended mid-air. "I can do that… and actually…" a twisted smile came to her face before she continued, "I think I will." She snapped the fingers on her right hand, sending Tidus plummeting back down into the chasm.

Ryu tried his best to ignore the call for oxygen his lungs were screaming for as he conjured up a spell to soften to landing of the blond. It was working for a while too, that was until the emerald-eyed angel took notice of it. She slammed her fist into his stomach, making his concentration break. She smiled smugly as she heard the _thump _of Tidus' limp body crashing into the ground behind her.

"Now, Ryu, how would you like to _die?_" she asked a genuine smile gracing her features.

'_That's great, the first time I see her smile, its because she asking me how I want to die.'_ He looked into her eyes; they were cold and full of hatred. They had taken advantage of Sonya's _'nice'_ side and he was sure as hell regretting that now.

"Stop it!" Kyria screamed as she went to attack the dark angel.

Sonya merely moved her position slightly and threw up her foot, kicking the heiress in the stomach. "You, Kyria, I thought would have had more sense," she said as she watched the younger girl bend over to catch her breath. "Oh well…" She glanced between the two blue-eyed heirs before finally stopping on Ryu with a grin. "Goodbye, Ryu," she uttered as she snapped his neck and dropped him to the floor.

"Ryu!" Kyria shrieked as she looked at Ryu's unmoving body. "No!" She jerked her head in the angel's direction.

"No worries, dearest," she said in a somewhat compassionate tone. "You'll be meeting him soon enough." She grinned as she sidestepped one of the fans Kyria had thrown at her. "Have I taught you nothing?" she questioned as she walked towards the brunette. She pulled out Oblivion Rapier and deflected a stab from the heiress.

At this point she was just toying with the girl. Kyria knew she had no chance of winning against her; she had taken out the other three within a matter of minutes. Regardless of how much training she had, it wasn't going to be anywhere near enough to match the angel's powers. She tried to get her a few times more with the sharp ends of the fans she used, but all of it was futile.

"Game over," Sonya snidely remarked as she unarmed the younger girl. "Send my regards to everyone in the Farplane," she said before twirling her blade and diving it into the abdomen of the brunette.

Kyria inhaled sharply as she felt the sharp metal pierce through her torso. This isn't how she expected to die. She imagined herself dying at an old age, in bed, not at the hands of a crazed lunatic that had a superiority complex. She fell to her knees as she coughed. She brought her hand to her mouth only to find crimson liquid trickling out. _'This is it…'_ she reflected as her eyelids began to droop. She collapsed onto her side, the last bit of life in her fluttering away, but not before she saw the others approaching in the distance.

* * *

A/n: thats the chapter I do hope you enjoyed it. I thought it was good o.o but i alway do D: well please review... i'll love you FOREVER! 


	15. The Coy and the Confident

Author's Note: Ok well School is coming to an end which means the work is piled high dies I've been more or less inundated with work. I have a 13 page research paper, a 7 page analytical paper, along with a 1 hour speech outline to make x.x it's going to be crazy.. therefore, expect very few updates, not that this is something new, but I won't have time to write, nor will I really desire to write after all that bah.. lol

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I still own nothing and have to work for my money

---xXx---

**The Coy and the Confident**

Maximus watched in disdain as the brunette heiress collapsed to the ground, leaving only Sonya standing, Oblivion Rapier resting on her shoulder. _'Shit…'_ He took off running out in front the two Al Bhed and the High Summoner, spreading his wings he took to the air to speed up his journey.

A few minutes later when he landed by Sonya, he looked around in horror. The four heirs they had found were scattered on the ground, unconscious, and from the looks of it, not breathing either. "_Sonya_! What in the name of Dios happened here?!" He ran over to the closest heir, which happened to be Ryu. He bent down and felt for a pulse, he felt nothing. The only thing he felt was a bone that was trying to break free from the confines of the skin.

He glanced at the dark angel, who seemed nothing short of apathetic of the whole situation. He didn't say anything as he brought his hands over the head of the wind god. _'This healing is going to take a lot of energy…'_ However, before he could do anything, he felt the cold steel of Sonya's blade press against his neck.

"You're about a day late and a dollar short, dear Maximus," she said smugly as she pressed down harder on the blade.

It was now Maximus turn to growl. This was very important to the sake of not only Spira, but him and Sonya as well and she didn't seem to care at all. He looked at the others, there was only a short period of time while they would be able to resurrect them and he wasn't going to let Sonya destroy their only hope.

Being enveloped in a white light, he quickly disappeared from sight, only to reappear behind the angel a second later, Divine Steel drawn. "Sorry, Sonya, but I can't just let you get away with this."

She spun around, yielding her blade. Maximus caught her attack by throwing up his blade to block her slash. "And, what do you intend to do?" she hissed as she pressed down on her blade. "Kill me, so you can revive those pathetic humans, _Maxy_? I'd like to see you _try_," She dared.

"I'll do more than try," he said as he launched in with a series of attacks, one slash after another, followed by another. Though his efforts seemed to be in vain, each move he made was only blocked and countered by the raven-haired woman. It was obvious that playing fair was getting nowhere, and Sonya wasn't looking to kill him. She wanted him to watch Spira's only hope vanish, it was evident by her defensive stance. She never waited for him to attack.

'_Well if playing dirty is what it takes, then so be it…'_ He swung his blade like a baseball bat, colliding the two blades. This not only caught Sonya off guard, but ultimately disarmed her as well. He didn't wait for her to retaliate; he threw up his hand, "HOLY!"

"Shit!" she yelled as the white lights surrounded her before shooting into her. She screamed out in pain as she dropped to her knees. Her whole body was writhing in pain; his magic had gotten stronger since she last was hit with it. She went to raise her hand to attack back, but Maximus was quicker.

"Celestial Ray!" he screamed out. Immediately a dome of holy magic surrounded the Dark Angel. In the dead center of the top of the dome, a thick ray of the magic shot down on Sonya. She screamed out in agony as the beam continued to beat down on her. Eventually the magic built up and an explosion of the white magic occurred within.

When the dust cleared, Sonya was left, heavily panting and bleeding profusely from the many injuries she gained from those few attacks. "You… son… of … a bitch," she growled as she pulled a gun from its holster and shot at him.

He quickly disappeared from sight, avoiding the shot. "Give my regards to Dios," his voice said, startling the Dark Angel. She turned around, just in time to see Maximus bring his blade down and jam it into her neck. Immediately, her whole body went limp, as her head dropped back and her green eyes rolled back into her head.

He pulled his blade from her neck, he knew he was going to pay dearly for that later, but it was the only way to get rid of her for a while. He sighed as he watched her body disperse into indigo pyreflies and zoom upwards. He looked around at the four heirs, the green pyreflies were beginning to appear. _'Shit…all at once then… this is going to hurt in the morning…' _

By this time Yuna, Rikku, and Gippal had reached the area. Yuna's bi-colored eyes were wide with trepidation. "Oh my, Yevon!!" she shrieked as she laid eyes on the carnage before her. "Tidus… Ryu… Ria… Julia… they.. they're dead… and," she looked around frantically, Sonya was no where in sight. "You… killed Sonya?!" She started to hyperventilate, panic setting in. "Everything… Spira… it's doomed!"

Maximus' eye was twitching, he needed to concentrate and the High Summoner's shrieking wasn't helping in the least. "Shut up," he snapped. "If you want them alive, let me concentrate. And don't concern yourself with Sonya… she'll be back," he muttered bitterly. Yuna clamped her mouth shut as she scurried next to her cousin and pulled the petite Al Bhed into a hug.

Now able to concentrate on the task at hand, he began to mutter furiously under his breath. As he did this, his body began to glow, the light only growing brighter as he continued to utter the incantation under his breath. Finally, the brunette angel threw out his hand and the light that surrounded him shot out hitting each of the heirs.

For a few brief moments, nothing happened and Maximus was beginning to wonder if he was too late, but soon enough a pained moan was heard from the lips of Kyria, and she was soon followed by the others. _'Ok, they're alive… now to heal them before they try to-'_

His thoughts were cut short by a pained cry coming from Tidus. "No one move," he instructed. Just because they were alive, didn't mean they were fully healed, he couldn't do that with that one move. That would have left him drained, and exhausted. "Yuna," he glanced at the High Summoner. "Help me heal them." She absentmindedly nodded as the two of them went to work, casting curative magic.

---xXx---

Seemingly dropping from the ceiling, Sonya fell to the ground with a thud. Her clothes were tattered, she was in Dihoro, and she was in some intense pain. She slowly stood from her position on the floor and made her way over to a mirror that was mounted on the wall. She glanced at her reflection and grimaced.

Along with the numerous small cuts and abrasions she had along her body, she had one beauty along her neck. It was about six inches in length; it was the mark from Maximus' fatal blow. _'Son of a bitch…'_ She slammed her fist into the mirror, shattering it into hundreds of little pieces and cutting open her knuckles.

"That's seven years bad luck," Miguel's snide voice came from behind her. She didn't move, she merely glared at the remains of the mirror; her patience were gone and he was pushing his luck if he thought she would hesitate to kill him if provoked. "You are in a lot of trouble, Sonya, and to be quite frank, its about time."

She spun around, one of her guns pulled from its holster. Tilting her head to the side she looked at him with the eyes of an innocent child. Slowly raising the gun, she aimed it for his head and grinned, "Well since I'm going to get in trouble… might as well make it for everything." She pulled the trigger, shooting the blond messenger in the forehead. He was dead before he hit the ground.

"_SONYA_!" Dios' voice boomed through the confines of the room, it was louder than his usual scolding voice, giving off the assumption that Sonya was in a shit load of trouble.

She shoved the gun in its holster before stepping over Miguel's dead body and into the hallway that led to Dios' office. Crossing her arms over her chest and sauntered down the long path, with only her thoughts to accompany her, and they weren't exactly the most enjoyable things to have around.

As she entered into the office she could feel his anger, the room was practically exploding from the plethora of it. "Sit," he instructed, his voice forceful and unyielding.

Quickly obeying, she took a seat in front of his desk. "Dios, I ca-"

"Silence!" he bellowed, as his hand slammed down on his desk. He looked hard at her, trying to gain eye contact, but she refused to look at him. "Sonya, look at me," he said slowly and in a threatening manner. Hesitantly, she moved her gaze to him, locking eyes with him. "Sonya, can I ask you something?"

"It's not like I really have a say in the matter," she said lowly, not breaking her gaze with her creator.

"_WHAT WERE YOU THINKING_?!" He shouted. The volume of his voice was so loud, Sonya cringed and moved her hands to her ears. "Did the words 'This. is. important.' Mean nothing to you?" Sonya opened her mouth to reply, but the silver eyed creator cut in again. "You are lucky that Maximus was there to bring them back, and they'll be fine. Though, this does put a damper on what role you are going to play in this escapade."

She looked at him and for the first time in thousands of years her eyes showed some kind of remorse for her actions. She didn't regret killing the heirs, no, that had been something she had wanted to do for a while, but the disappointment and anger she sensed from Dios was enough to make her understand she went overboard.

"Sonya, I know I shouldn't expect you to enjoy your time with them, and I won't bother asking you to befriend them, but could you _not kill them,_" he said. Though his tone was softer, his words were still cutting, it was still evident that he was disappointed in her. "You did at one time care for others… even if it was only a few select people, and I use the term lightly…"

"Things change," she snapped. She moved her glance from him, that last comment had hit a nerve. She didn't mind him yelling at her for killing them, but she wouldn't listen to stories of the past.

"Couldn't you try to get along civilly with them?"

"No," she snapped. The past was the past and there was no way of recollecting that. The single shred of dignity she had for humanity went out of the proverbial window long ago and it could never be rekindled. She crossed her arms and looked at him crossly, he knew better than to bring up such matters. "I would much rather not discuss this topic, it only diverges from the real reason of me being here."

"Yes, the _real_ reason," Dios said, giving her an austere glance. "The heirs." Dios stood from his seat and paced around the room. "I don't know what I'm supposed to do with you," he said as he stopped at a window. Gazing out the glass pane he continued to speak, "You're a danger to humanity, I know that. You have a short temper. And to top it all off, your answer to everything is violence." He placed his hand on his forehead and glanced at her. Sighing, he shook his head. "You've left me no choice…" He moved towards her til he was right before the dark angel. "I'm going to have to seal your powers."

Sonya's eyes shot wide open. "_WHAT_?!" She screeched as she shoved her chair back, avoiding the out reached hand of Dios. She jumped up from the chair and staggered back away from her creator. "What do you mean, _seal my powers_?!" For the first time in several thousand years, Sonya's eyes were laced with apprehension.

"You're a monster with a sword, but I can't take that from you… Oblivion Rapier wouldn't allow it," he frowned and looked at the blade resting lazily at her waist. "However, I can seal your powers. It wouldn't completely inhibit you, but it get rid of a wide variety of torturous works."

She dodged past him and ran towards the door. "No! Why? Kill me! I'd take death over losing my powers!" She grabbed the handle of the door and forcefully pulled on it, trying to rip it from the hinges.

"Of course you would, that would be the easy way out." He grabbed the back of her neck and pulled her away from the door. "This is a punishment, learn from it."

Sonya tried to move her hands to block him from sealing her powers, but it was futile. The Creator was stronger than her in every aspect of the word. He merely bounded her hands behind her back. Lifting his hand he conjured up an old spell, muttering an incantation under his breath before slamming his hand into her stomach.

Letting out an anguished cry, Sonya closed her eyes tightly as she felt like a part of her was ripped from her being. It was a pain she hadn't felt in ages. Her breathing was shallow as a cold sweat broke out on her forehead. The darkness that she experienced from keeping her eyes closed was alien to her. Her body shook as the seal finished it job, leaving a small black seal on her left hip. "Dios…" she whispered as her body convulsed.

Dios looked down at the angel, softness in his eyes that wasn't there before. He hated to have to put her through that, but she left him no choice. He placed a hand over her eyes, forcing them closed. "Sleep, my child…" he whispered to her. As if on command, Sonya's body went limp and Dios carefully lifted her up into his arms before carrying her towards the long couch where he laid her to rest.

"This will help you in your trials to come," was the last thing the creator said before exiting the room.

---xXx---

Julia moaned as she blinked open her eyes. Once open, she laid eyes on a plain white ceiling. _'Where… am I?' _She tried to sit up, only for a sharp pain to ravage her head. "Yevon…" she muttered to herself as she let herself just lay back with her eyes closed, deciding that moving was a bad idea.

"I see your awake," came the friendly voice of Gippal. He moved towards her bed and gave her a quick wink. "You four took quite the beating. Lucky to be alive actually."

Opening a single eye, she looked up at the Machine Faction leader. "Lucky?

He nodded, the single green eye meeting her violet one. "Sonya had all intents on leaving you four to die." He sat down on the bed. "Maxy-boy took care of it though."

"I see," she muttered as she closed her eye. So she must have been in the infirmary… or at least what they made the infirmary. Her body ached and her head killed her; she took one hell of a hit from Sonya, and she had a feeling the after affects of that wasn't going to be so easy to get rid of.

Placing a hand on the side of her head, he gently ran his thumb over forehead. "So how've ya been, kiddo. You disappeared for two years. That massive war almost broke out… and you ran from the Machine Faction." He removed his hand from her head and ran it through her own hair. "You worried a lot of people."

"Sorry," she apologized. "Just felt it was my time to leave the Faction. Wanted to be on my own, that is all." She slowly opened her eyes and tilted her head to look at him, "I wanted to say goodbye, but too many sad goodbyes and resolves waiver."

"I understand." He slowly rose from the mattress. "I'm glad to see your ok." He flashed her a smile before turning away. "Rest up…" He moved to the door and paused. "While you can…" With those words spoken, he walked through the doors and left.

---xXx---

Maximus was moving about his room. A plethora of thoughts racing through his mind: What was going to happen with Sonya, how was this going to affect their mission; when was Sonya going to get back and how was she going to respond to whatever happened. _'We can most likely expect a more than irritable Sonya.' _ He frowned as he exited his room.

His mind raced with thoughts as he briskly walked down the hall. Afraid of what Sonya might be like when she came back, he wanted to be the first one she encountered. He could in the very least suppress her to some degree. If one of the heirs found her… well he'd spend the remainder of the week finding pieces of the heir spread throughout Spira.

Passing by a few people in the hall, he gave them no heed as he had his mind set on being the first to encounter Sonya. He didn't even know where to go, but something in the back of his mind was telling him to go outside. He doubted very much that she'd be back in her room. He wasn't even sure if she'd get back on the airship since they had relocated to the complete and total opposite side of the calm lands. It was more or less a day's walk, not that it would be an issue for her, but… regardless.

He made his way off the airship and onto the grassy plain. He didn't get far before he saw a figure out in the distance. The girl's head was downcast and ebony colored hair fell forward, obscuring his view of her face. She was wearing light blue jeans, and a white fleece that hung loosely around her body. Maximus was hesitant but he eventually made his way towards her, figuring she could be lost. His silver eyes were locked on the approaching girl. His slow walk quickly turned into a brisk one as he watched the girl stumble. "Everything alright, Mis-" He stopped. As he got closer the all too familiar feeling of darkness washed over him…

Bewildered he stared wide eyed at the girl before him. "Sonya?"

Slowly, the girl before him lifted her head. Pushing her hair back she glanced at him, emerald eyes looking tired and worn stared at him. "Yeah?" came the soft spoken response.

His mouth was open but no words came out. He hadn't seen Sonya look, nor sound, so innocent in thousands of years. And to be honest? He didn't like it. There were very, _very_ few things that could make Sonya so timid. "Are… you ok?" he finally stammered, trying to close his mouth.

"Fine," she mumbled as she stuck her hands deeper into her pocket and moved past him, making her way for the airship.

Silver eyes bore into her back, suspicion lacing them. Something was wrong, and he wanted to know what. "Dios kept you a long time?" he said jogging so to keep pace with her.

"Not really," she solemnly replied, her eyes fixed on the ground as she walked.

"Then why so late, dearest?" he pressed, trying to get some kind of decent response from her.

She shook her head and sighed. "Do you know how long it takes to cross the Calm Lands by foot?"

He nodded his answer before asking, "Why were you wal-"

"Listen," she said stopping him mid-sentence and jerking her head around to glare at him. "Save the false concerns. Just back off and go away Maximus. It makes things a lot more pleasant as well as a lot less bloody. Catch my drift, ne?"

He was going to question her more, but something in her tone of voice made him stop. It wasn't the threat, the threat lacked the normal desire to kill that they all had and that is what made him stop, the lack of malice that were in her words. Something was wrong, but he wasn't going to get an answer now, nor would he ever, willingly that is anyway. "As you wish," he said as he let her go.

There was something she wasn't telling him, and it was going to bother him til he found out. There were so many things about that encounter that were so out of character. Firstly, Sonya was entirely too timid, secondly, she was walking to the airship, thirdly and the probably the most important… he hadn't felt her presence til he was practically next to her and with her overwhelming amount of dark presence that shouldn't be. "It would probably be for the best I just forget the whole incident," he muttered to himself. "She didn't try to kill me, I should be happy, not question it." He shrugged as he followed the path Sonya had taken a few moments before. He could try to forget it, but… he knew he wouldn't. Maybe he'd try again tomorrow, in Kilika.

---xXx---

Gippal had left the Calm Lands almost immediately after Sonya had returned and spent the night and a majority of the morning flying to Kilika. They had spent enough time waiting for Sonya and two days had already gone to waste since that incident with the training. As soon as he docked the airship somewhere off the shore he made a bee-line right for his room for a well earned rest.

"Kilika…" the young High Summoner glance out the window. A pained look came to her bicolored eyes as she reminisced about the first time she'd traveled to Kilika. Her eyes wandered to Tidus as that all too familiar forced smile came to her face. "I think… I think I shall visit Dona. Just to see if she is well."

"If that is what you desire, Lady Summoner, by all means… do," Maximus said with a cheerful smile as he joined the couple on the bridge. "Julia shall be joining us shortly," he spoke to Tidus. The Blitzer nodded his head. "Sonya on the other hand, will join us as she sees fit." His silver eyes shifted to the left as the whoosh from the metallic door reached his ears.

Stepping out into the open, Julia nodded at the trio before wishing them a good morning. "How's your head," Maximus questions as she moved closer. It had been a bit over two days since the training mishap and this was the first time any of the heirs had really gotten the chance the move about.

"Better," she nodded. "Thank you."

He smiled and placed a hand on her head. "Not a problem, Julia." He tilted his head, the smile still present, and he gave a slight ruffle to her hair. "Now that we're here," he moved his hand away, "Shall we get going? Summoner Yuna wishes to meet with Lady Dona."

"Oh, Maximus, you don't need to come with," she said. "I'd rather not be an imposition to what you need to do today."

"Lady Yuna," he started. "We can not do anything until our ray of sunshine decides to join us." He moved pasts the humans for the exit. "And last time I checked, Sonya comes and goes as she pleases. So," he glanced at them over his shoulder. "Which way to Lady Dona's humble abode?"

With no further arguments Yuna led the way through the pier side of Kilika. It didn't take long to get to the small hut that the x-summoner resided in.

"My,my, still traveling with such a large group I see," a sultry voice sounded from above them. "What riff-raff."

Looking up, the group laid eyes on a scantily clad woman. Her dark hair matched the tone of her skin, and her exotic eyes suited perfectly with the promiscuous clothing that hung on her body.

Maximus quirked an eyebrow. "A little less clothes, and a much stronger inclination to violence and I might label her as Sonya's human counter part," he muttered to no one in particular.

A small gasp left the lips of the half Al Bhed as her bi-colored eyes stared at him in disbelief. "Maximus… that's not exactly the most kind thing you ever said."

"Apologies," he replied with a bow of his head and a smirk on his face. "We all have our moments." Glancing upward he waved a hand at Dona. "Maximus. It's a pleasure to meet you. However, I along with these two," he placed a hand on the shoulder of Tidus and Julia, "have other things to attend to."

The two heirs waved their hand before stumbling after Maximus. He led them to the opening in the forest, away from the populous of Kilika. "We might as well get a bit more of training in," his eyes scoured the area to make sure no one would stroll into the middle of their session. "I want you both to come at me," he turned around and grinned. "You won't hurt me, trust me on that… so come at me with an intent to kill. Otherwise, I'll just slap you around."

Julia glanced at Tidus before giving a shrug of her shoulders and going after the angel with a flurry of lightning bolts. Maximus merely ducked, hopped and side stepped all of them, not even breaking out into a sweat. "Come along, Tidus. Try to hit me," Maximus said as he spun on his left foot avoiding the down falling bolt of electricity.

"er… ok…" Tidus shifted nervously as he moved forward. "I'll try too…"

---xXx---

With the quick slash of the blade, the foliage fell before her. She wasn't sure where she was going, but she just knew she needed to be away from everyone. She felt it would be best to be away from Maximus for the time being. He was aware that something wasn't right, and he would be determined to find out just what was wrong.

With a grunt, her boot covered foot kicked aside a large piece of wood that fell across her path. Pushing aside the debris that was in her way she stepped out into a small alcove that was shrouded in shadows. Though the darkness didn't give her the solstice it used to, she still felt welcomed.

For the first time that day the scowl on her face faded. She was calm now, things were quiet and she was alone. Everything she could ever want. Time away from Maximus and the other idiotic heirs would give her time to sort things through in her mind. She wasn't happy, not that happiness was an everlasting thing in her existence, however, she was more apt to despair than normal. A piece of her was missing and it didn't help that she wasn't able to just be alone. _'I should just take the time I have now and enjoy it… that idiot will be looking for me soon enough…' _ Letting a long sigh escape from her mouth she let her muscle relax.

The soothing relaxing atmosphere was shattered when she heard a high pitched scream slice through the air. Her face contorted into a look of contempt as she slowly opened her eyes. The screams grew louder as the time passed, and didn't stop til they were right underneath the tree she was residing in. _'For the sake of the loud shrieking imbecile, I hope to Dios they just pass through…' _ When they didn't seem to be moving Sonya banged the back of her head against the tree back. "I'll kill them." Swinging her legs over the branch she jumped down to a lower one. Crouching down on it she stalked the pair below her.

"I.. I'll… I'll tell mommy!!" the smaller of the two boys shrieked.

"Intriguing," Sonya muttered to herself as her emerald eyes watched the pair closely. It had appeared as if the younger boy had tripped in his frantic escape. His brown eyes were wide with trepidation as he crawled backwards. It would seem an act of violence was about to take place, and that was right up Sonya's alley.

The taller boy was thin with shaggy orange colored hair that fell to his eyes. From the back Sonya could tell he was on the thin side, though his tanned toned arms told that he wasn't exactly weak. Tilting her head Sonya laid eyes on a hooked blade that was strapped to his back. "Interesting weapon… probably doesn't know how to use it right…" she shook her head, still scrutinizing the two boys.

"I'm going to show you why you shouldn't stick your nose in my business…" he frowned as he flicked his wrist, causing a flame to engulf his entire hand.

"You got to be shitting me…" Sonya said in disdain as the sight of the fire immediately sparked a thought in her mind. _'And since I can't sense it from up here… I have to get… closer.'_ The scowl from that morning reappeared on her face as she moved down to the lowest branch possible.

"Mooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooommmmm!!!!" The boy screamed as loudly as he could, the high pitch of it causing Sonya to cover her ears.

"Damn it, Billy!" the older boy said as he jumped back away from him to protect his hearing.

"Ha! I'm telling mom! Later, Loser!!" The smaller boy named Billy stuck his tongue out before he sprinted through the thick rough in the direction Sonya presumed to be home.

"I'll kill you!" the older one called out as he made motions to run after him.

"Oh no…" Sonya grumbled as she leaned the upper half of her body downward. "You don't." Flipping through the air she landed gracefully before the orange haired boy. Emerald eyes locked with Hazel as the dark angel impeded his exit. Her frown grew as her thoughts were confirmed. "This is as far as you go."

Blinking in confusion, he looked down at her. He knew she wasn't native to Kilika. His father was the mayor, he knew _everyone_ that lived on that Island. Not to mention, he knew every attractive girl within a fifty mile radius, and there would be no way that this one escaped his radar. "Well I don't believe I know you," he said, a charming smile crossing his face. "The name…"

"I don't care what your name is," she hissed. "You're coming with me."

He laughed. "Is this some kind of joke?" Rolling his eyes, he crossed his arms over his chest and smirked. "Is this some sad attempt at kidnapping me? Cause, though I do love the ladies… I won't back down without a fight." He gave a quick wink.

"Attempt? Kidnap? Last time I checked when you kidnapped someone it was for some personal gain. The only thing I get from this is looking more benevolent as well as adding another _idiot_ to the retarded parade I travel with already." Her eyes were narrowed and her hands planted firmly on her hips. She was in no mood. She wanted to be alone, and of course, she would be the one to run into the stupid fire heir.

Standing up tall, he stuck his nose in the air. "I am far from an idiot," was his indignant reply. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have other things to attend to." He stepped to the side, looking to pass by Sonya.

A firm hand halted his exit. Wrapped tightly around his bicep Sonya didn't even bother to turn her head as she spat, "I said you're coming with me. I don't believe I gave you a choice in the matter."

"Listen, I know the ladies have trouble keeping their hands off me.. but" he said with a grin as he placed his hand on her wrist looking to pull it off her.

"Remove your hand from me immediately, or I'll remove your hand from you."

Hazel eyes widened as he moved his hand away from the light skin of the dark angel. "I think this has gone far enough," he said as he reached over his back, grasping the hilt of his blade. "I'm not going to ask you again."

"Are you sure you want to remove that blade from its sheath?" She slowly turned her head in his direction. "I can guarantee you… you do that. And you will regret it."

He ripped the blade from its sheath and swung it haphazardly at her head. "Let go!"

Sonya twisted her body and jerked his arm upward, using it as a shield to deflect the hit. She knew it was successive when she heard the cry of pain from the orange haired buffoon. "Now, listen up, _idiot,_ I won't say this again. Put your blade down." Refusing to be over powered by a girl, he tried to slash lower. "No dice." She said as she pulled down on his arm, forcing his upper body to bend forward. "I suppose we have to do this the difficult way." Slamming her knee into his face, she hit him with enough force she knocked him out. Hopefully, with a concussion. She frowned as she released his arm and turned to face his supine body. "Idiot…" she complained as she hefted his unconscious body up over her shoulder. "Back to that piece of scrap metal that flies."

Grunting, she jumped up into the trees. _'Can't just walk through the woods… Unwanted attention… can't fly so… the trees…' _ She leapt from tree to tree, concealing herself amongst the foliage, her right wrapped tightly around the midsection of the tall boy. _'This would be so much easier… if he wasn't so large,'_ she complained mentally as she landed on a branch in the next tree. Pausing a moment, she roughly adjusted him so that she had a better grip on him. "Boy…" she whispered as she bent her legs at the knees. "I don't know anything about you… and _I don't like you_." She pushed off the branch, launching herself and the heir through the air to the next tree.

---xXx---

Dodging an up rush of water, Maximus threw up his hand, using a concentration of holy magic to block out the electrical attack coming from Julia. "Better…" he said slowly before tossing out his hand, casting a relatively weak blast of white magic at the ground before them. Breaking apart the ground before them, Tidus pushed off into the air and twisted his body to avoid the flying debris. Julia on the other hand, used her hands to cover her head as she dove to the right, rolling away from the area.

The Light Angel laughed as the two heirs stood up, one on his left, and one on his right. "You're easily divided," he spoke cheerfully as he let the situation settle in for the heirs. "For people of your level, going against someone of mine… that is a large disadvantage." His silver eyes sparkled in amusement as the two heirs stared at him in confusion. "Let me show you…" Placing his hand together, he made a few quick motions with his hands. "Sp'lit l' Zeklet'taun."

The Heirs stood dumbfounded as a bright white light engulfed the entire area. Before the light even had the chance to diminish both heirs found themselves face to face with what seems to be a carbon copy of Maximus, molded by holy magic. "What the…" was the shared response of the two heirs. The copies of Maximus placed their hands on the chest of the heirs exploding against them in a flashy display of light, sending both Julia and Tidus twenty feet back from where they originally were. Their bodies were like rag dolls as they spastically rolled across the ground.

"That's why you shouldn't have split up…" He bounced on the balls of his feet and he glanced between the two heirs. Tilting his head, he shrugged his shoulders. "I suppose we're finished today."

"Next time you do something like that, let out some kind of warning scream," a sardonic voice hissed from behind him. "I heard _Sp'lit l' Zeklet'taun _ and barely had time to land and shield my eyes." Maximus turned around to face the direction the voice was coming from. His eyes came to rest on Sonya as she landed before him. She was crouched down on one knee, with a large body thrown over her shoulder. "Am I clear… _Idiot_?"

"Actually, Sonya, you are quite opaque…" a grin creeped it way to his face, causing Sonya to scowl, but before she had the chance to retort he moved towards the limp body of the boy that she had just so kindly deposited on the floor. "Fire heir?" He inquired as he grew closer, the feeling of heat washing over him. His shirt was tattered and their was blood flowing from his left arm

"No… he's a shoopuff…" the scowl on her face deepened, the blood from his wound had seeped down the back of her shirt and she needed to shower again. "I think he swallowed his tongue, and I broke his nose… so" she shrugged her shoulders, "I don't think he's breathing…"

Shaking his head, he knelt down besides the orange haired Kilikan and placed his hand to his forehead, casting a cura over his supine body. "You know, Sonya. You have to stop abducting heirs… especially in such… violent manners."

Ignoring Maximus she moved past him and glanced between the motionless bodies of Tidus and Julia. "I take it… they didn't see it coming at all, and got hit full force." She cringed, though that wasn't a particularly difficult move for Maximus to do; it was strong… especially to those who weren't prepared for it or someone who wasn't used to getting hit with such moves.

"Indeed." He stood up and moved next to Sonya. "We have our work cut out for us… They fail offensively, defensively…"

"Maximus," she snapped, cutting him off. She jerked her head in his direction, and frowned. "They fail at life."

"That seems to be undeniable," he dejectedly agreed.

"Seeing as how you took out those two… and that _idiot_ is unconscious… we can't do anything," she said as a frown came to her face.

"Heh," he grinned as he looked at the three unconscious bodies strewn about them. "Who do you want to carry?"

Scowling she stalked over towards the thunder heiress. "This one… isn't as _fat_ as the others," she grabbed the waist of Julia's pants and hefted her over her shoulder. Jumping up on top of the high fence separating the village from the woods Sonya turned her head and smirked, "Have fun, Maximus…" Turning back she leapt down from the wall, disappearing from view.

Sighing, he bent down and picked up Tidus and the orange haired Kilikan, one in each arm. Adjusting each in his arms he bent his legs before jumping up, following Sonya's lead.

---xXx---

Sonya paced around her room. She felt like she was a caged animal. Maximus _ requested_ she stay around til the others woke up so she could help to seal the temple. She only agreed cause if she didn't, he said he'd be forced to keep a constant watch on her. '_Damn it…'_ She threw herself down on the bed. She couldn't even teleport out because she had no powers and if she tried to walk past Maximus he'd see her. "This… blows."

---xXx---

A groan escaped the lips of the orange hairs teen as he blinked open his eyes. His face hurt, he felt like he had run head long into a brick wall. "The hell…" he murmured to himself as he sat up. Taking in his surroundings it didn't take him long to realize that he wasn't home, nor anywhere in Kilika for that matter. His eyes widened, panic lacing them as he stood from the bed and made his way for the door. He didn't get halfway before he realized that his shirt was missing, along with his sword. Not only that, but his arm was bandaged from the wrist to above his elbow. _'…that wasn't a dream…'_ A feeling of dread swept over him as he realized that encounter with the dark hair demoness wasn't a dream, and he was probably somewhere in her humble abode.

His whole body froze as the metallic door he was heading towards swooshed open. His head lifted away from his abdomen to meet the unexpected visitor. His eyes laid upon the form of a petite blond. She jumped slightly at the sight of him out of his bed and let out a small yip. Quickly regaining her stature she rushed towards the young man. "No, no, no back in bed with ya," she shot him a toothy grin as she grabbed his unbandaged arm and dragged him towards the bed he had been sleeping on. "Yunie and Maxy will be angry if they see you moving about, silly. You took quite a blow to the noggin..." she tapped his forehead lightly with her index finger.

A sly grin crossed the face of the oranged haired Kilikan. "Ouch," he gave a forced pout before continuing, "You hurt my booboo… I think, you should kiss it and make it better."

Laughing, the blond pushed him back on the bed. "Rest," she said as she poked his nose. "I'm going to tell Yunie you're up." She bounced towards the door, stopping in the middle of the doorframe. "Oh, the name is Rikku," she chimed. "I'll answer any questions you may have…"

"Kaden," he replied as he propped himself up on his elbows. "Hey, Rikku… mind if I ask you something?" The petitie Al Bhed shook her head no and Kaden continued to speak. "Why am I here?"

"Oh I can't answer that," she said with a shrug before trying to walk out the door again.

Blinking, Kaden asked, "But didn't you just say you'd answer any questions I have?"

"Yuppers!" She nodded enthusiastically. "But… not that!" Before Kaden could mutter another syllable, the Al Bhed was through the door and down the hall.

The native Kilikan wasn't alone for long before a friendly looking pair of brunettes walked in the doorway. One he immediately recognized to be Yuna, the High Summoner, the other was a male he didn't know, nor was particularly interested in knowing.

"Ah, I see you've finally awaken," the male said with an annoying bit of cheer in his voice. "Sorry you were found by Sonya, she lacks any kind of people skills…" He paused, tilted his head and let out a low chuckle, "Unless of course its killing people… that she excels in." Shrugging his shoulders, he held out his hand and smiled. "Maximus. Welcome aboard."

Kaden looked at the man before him incredulously, he couldn't be serious. He was welcoming him to someplace he didn't want to be, and was acting like the whole ordeal was perfectly normal. Refusing to take his hand, Kaden sat up and brushed the introduction aside. "Can I leave now?"

Maximus put on a contemplative face and bobbed his head as he seemed to think over the boy's question. Shaking his head slowly he spoke, "No… nope, can't let you do that…Sorry…" Kaden's mouth opened for a rebuttle but Maximus, placed his hand on Kaden's head and gave him a _soft_ push back. Caught off guard, Kaden spazzed as he grabbed for the blankets before he went tumbling backwards off the bed. "You see, my friend, you are a god, and you have to help us save the world… or… well lets put it this way, if you don't help, your time in the FarPlane just won't be so wondrous."

"Well… I knew I was _good_ but I didn't think my reputation preceded me," he said with a grin that would cause Sonya to shudder. "But I don't see how _that_ would help save the world… unless we're repopulating it…"

Maximus looked as if he was about to get sick and Yuna blinked in confusion. Maximus patted Yuna's shoulder before speaking, "Let me elaborate… And before you speak… try thinking with your head… and for the love of Dios, make sure it's the right one this time." Turning his back to the perverted boy, he explained their situation and his role in this agenda. It took some time for the Kilikan to comprehend it all, but he finally agreed to help.

"So… I'm going to travel all of Spira?" Maximus nodded signaling Kaden to continue speaking. "And I'm going to meet a lot of new people, right?" The Angel of Light hesitated before nodding again. Kaden grinned. "Alright, I'm in. Females of Spira, watch out, Kaden Jinkun is on the prowl."

"Oh for the love of Dios," came a complain from the doorway. "Just when you thought Spira couldn't be anymore forsaken, along comes this idiot." Emerald eyes locked with Silver ones. "I don't know which is worse, allowing those two angered deities to escape… or letting this imbecile roam free…"

Maximus sent his counter part a smile before placing a hand on Kaden's shoulder. "That," he motioned to the raven haired girl, "Is Sonya. Try and remember this time. It's your first meeting where she isn't trying to physically harm you." Giving the fire god a playful punch in the arm he added in, "And probably the last time…"

"Probably?" Sonya sneered at the prospect of dealing with the heirs in a civil manner. She moved swiftly through the room till she was standing before the tan skinned boy. She didn't even know this human, but her resentment for humanity coupled with the way she had to drag him back to Maximus gave her reason enough to dislike him. "Let's get something clear. I don't like you, you piss me off. Therefore, any kind of conversation outside of 'Yes, Ma'am' wouldn't be wise. Am I understood?"

"Well, actu-"

Kaden couldn't finish his sentence before a fist was shoved into his abdomen with enough force that he was sure that had he eaten recently, that blow would have forced it back up. He bent forward, holding his stomach in attempts to ease the pain of the hit. His head was forcible jerked upward by the small ivory hands belonging to Sonya. Her emerald eyes were narrowed to slits as she hissed, "I said… am I understood?"

Nodding his head, orange hair fell over his eyes as a pained whisper came from his lips. "Yes, Ma'am."

"Excellent!" Maximus exclaimed as he gave Kaden a hard pat on the back, nearly knocking him over. The Kilikan stumbled forward, trying to keep his balance, as she sent Maximus a dubious look. Ignoring him Maximus turned towards the violent prone comrade and inquired, "Shall I get the others?

"Did you expect me to?" she asked with a skeptical expression on her face.

Silver eyes were wide with amusement as he replied, "Of course not dearest, I'd only expect that if I was asking for death with a side of minced heir." He didn't wait for a response, or attempt to walk past the dark Angel, instead he clapped his hands together and sent the group a smile before dissipating in a flash of white light, leaving Yuna and Kaden alone with Sonya.

Slightly more than apprehensive, Kaden stared at the dark Angel, waiting for some kind of response from her. Catching the stares almost immediately, Sonya jerked her head in his direction and scowled. "Move," she sneered as her eye grew dark, and the ominous feeling of impending doom was now something more of a imminent feeling of peril and if Kaden didn't move he had a feeling he was going to_ be moved. _

Jumping into action, the Kilikan nearly knocked down Yuna as he ran out into the hallway, unsure of which way to go, but not necessarily caring so long as he could get away from the small terror that was called Sonya. Turning his head back, he looked at her questioningly, it was a silent plea for direction.

"Go left, idiot," was the only bit of assistance she offered and that was all he needed before he swiftly moved down the hall, looking for nothing in particular.

---xXx---

"I'm sure you're a nice guy and all…" came the slow unsure response of the ice heiress, "But… I just don't feel us clicking…" She scratched the back of her head and sent him a feeble smile in a futile attempt to make the situation slightly less awkward.

"I'm sure if you gave me a chance, I could make it so you felt us _clicking_," he took her hand in his and sent her a quick wink.

"I.. uh… well… You see…" the flustered heiress stumbled over her words as she pulled her hand away from him. She crossed her arms over her torso and moved away from him, looking at the ground before mumbling, "I'm not interested."

He opened his mouth to reply, but stopped when he felt something small and hard collide with the back of his head. "Ouch," he winced as he whirled around, his hand over his shoulder, resting on the hilt of his blade. "Who… did that?" His eyes scoured the group, glowering at each of them.

"Maybe," Maximus chimed in. "It was the local deity trying to send you a hint," he smirked as he placed his hand behind his head and leaned up against the front wall of the temple.

A frown graced his features as he brought his hand back to a rested position at his side. With his attention of the brunette Angel he moved towards him, "Why exactly are we here?"

"Well, its not to test boundaries and try new things," Maximus coyly remarked as he slid away from the fire heir. Warranting a disapproving look from the Kilikan, he continued to speak, "As I said before, in an attempt to prevent, or at least in an attempt to buy us time, we're trying to seal off the temples, which as you may…" he paused and looked hard at Kaden before rephrasing his statement. "Which, you probably _don't_ know, the temples each have a portal to the FarPlane which is the center of our problem right now." He placed his hand on the stone wall of the building, a warm smile adorning his face. "These little places hold so many secrets… its amazing really."

Being pulled from his reminiscent mood by the inpatient fire god, Maximus didn't get the chance to answer the question he posed as to why they were waiting around and not actually doing what they came to do.

"We're waiting for Sonya," Tidus replied, his own impatience shining through his words.

Kaden rolled his eyes, obviously turned out at the idea of having to wait around for someone. Being the mayor's son, he got everything he wanted whenever he willed it, and the fact that he was being forced to _wait_ for someone to do something he wasn't enthralled about doing, was not sitting well with him. "And why exactly are we waiting for that bitch?"

"Are you _really_ stupid, or are you just a flat out _retard_?"

The group froze on spot as the icy words fell over them, sending a chill through the heirs. Regardless of their ill feelings for the Angel, she was still something to be feared. No matter what she said, one always got the feeling that she was making a threat on their life. Slowly, she came into view as she sauntered out from the shadows and into plain sight. Her fingers were loops through the belt holders on the waist of her pants, and a scowl was present on her face.

"Did Maximus not _just_ explain to you _why_ I was needed?" She stood before him, her head tilted back so that she was looking up at him. Had this been looked upon by an outsider the scene would have been amusing, but the others knew better than to laugh at the small Angel with a temper problem. She had Kaden's top clenched in her fist, and he was bent over as she talked directly to his face. "And to be quite frank," she said as she was coming to an end of her tirade. "If you have a problem waiting for me, that's too god damn bad because when it comes down to it, you need me a hell of a lot more than I need you." Then with a forceful shove, Sonya pushed the heir back, knocking him down on his ass.

"Let's move," she demanded of the others before she slipped within the confines of the temple.

"Well," Maximus started before grabbing the back of Kaden's shirt with one hand and lifting him to his feet. "You heard the lady… let's go."

---xXx---

Maximus walked beside Kyria and Kaden explaining to them the fundamentals of how they were going to seal over the temple. It would take a bit of concentration and their full attention. He sent a warning glare towards Kaden telling him not to lose focus. It would not only ruin the seal, but also cause serious harm to someone. "And… not only that," he started as an after thought. "Miss Sunshine up there, will have your head for it…" the light manner in his tone of voice changed as he locked eyes with the heir and finished up the sentence, "Literally…"

Speaking of Sonya she was ahead of the group. Being stuck without her powers was a nuisance in more than one sense. Performing hand seals as she walked, she muttered an incantation under her breath, "**Oloth zhal nezdous lu' elghinn pour fotus, l' cup zhal ove'rrun xuil comson liquid lu' er'griff t'yin zhal l' deed tlu xunor." **She needed the spell to be ready by the time they reached the chambers. It was the only way she could tap into a dark reserve, it not only took entirely too long to conjure up, with her lack of dark prowess, it failed to hold any substantially damaging affects, well in comparison to what it used to be anyway. Then on top of that, she could only use it for a short period of time before she had to rest and rejuvenate.

The chamber of the Fayth was dimly lit as only a sole tourch remain lit in the center of the room The chamber had long been abandoned, though the rest of the temple was used for refuge and other things associated with New Yevon, the chamber of the Fayth along with the trials had been Abandoned, Maximus often wondered how long it would be til the trials and the chamber became nothing more of a legend and the paths long forgotten.

Filing in around the circle, Maximus directed the heirs to stand opposite their counterpart. Taking his own position in the circle they had formed, he looked at Sonya's face with concern, her eyes seemed to be locked fiercely into an unseen battle, her hands were held tightly in a steeple formation, and her forehead appeared damp with what he assumed to be sweat. He opened his mouth to ask her if she was ok, but at that moment, she lifted her head and glared at him. Listening to the silent threat, Maximus raised his hands and started to say the chant, followed closely by the others.

_We combine our powers, to seal this doorway  
Opposing elements, meshing as one  
To protect the balance and peace of Spira._

Sonya didn't join in on the chant, she didn't need to, nor could she... her actions needed to be precise or something would go awry and that would just bring query against her that she didn't need nor want. No sooner had the last syllable of Spira been pronounced did she whisper the word, "Kai" and pushed out her right arm, her palm facing Maximus, with her left hand secured firmly on her elbow.

Without warning the entire room exploded in a magnitude of powers. Black, White, Blue, Yellow, Gray, and Red colors brightened the entire room, as a strong gust of wind blew through the room. Blowing freely through the center of the room, it moved in a counterclockwise formation, meshing the powers into one, forming an invisible seal over the threshold before the heirs. With one final bright glow of brilliant lights, the seal finished and the room once again grew dim, casting most the heirs back into the shadows.

And for that the dark Angel was thankful. It gave her a brief moment's reprieve to situate herself and regain composure over herself. She needed to avoid Maximus for the time being as well. He'd know, if he didn't already know, that something was off. The enchantment took enough energy as is, and the fact that she had to hold it caused her body more strain. She had started to sweat from holding back the spell. Raising her arm up, she quickly wiped her forehead off with her arm. Slipping out of the chamber, she kept her back to the heirs as she left. With a wave of her hand, she left them with the muttered threat of "Rest today, we train tomorrow."

Julia, Kyria and Tidus exchanged looks of dread as they slowly followed her through the doorway, into the antechamber of the temple. "Train?" Kaden asked as he quirked his eyebrow, looking to the others for answers. "Train for what?"

"We do melee training and magic training to better ourselves for this up coming challenge," Kyria said with a shrug as she ran her hands along her arms. She wasn't cold, but the damp feeling of dread was still with her from when Sonya was in their company.

"Maximus helps us with our magic…" Tidus said slowly. "And…" he trailed off leaving the end of the sentence open for Kaden to fill in the blank.

"Sonya trains melee?" He laughed out loud. "A girl… is teaching us how to fight?"

"I'd be wary of what you say of that _girl_," the calm friendly voice of Maximus echoed through the area. "Sonya excels in the art of melee fighting. Unlike many deities and summoners, her magic is merely a supplement to her already outstanding offence. She knows more than you'll forget… keep that in mind."

"Right, well I'll just have to school Sonya tomorrow, show her who the real weapon master is," he said with a cocky grin as he puffed out his chest. "And I'll do it for you pretty lady," Kaden said as he pinched Julia's cheek.

Turning her lip up in distaste, the blue haired heiress pushed his hand away from her. "Please don't touch me ever again," she told him as she moved past him, muttering the word 'stupid…' under her breath.

Maximus furrowed his brow in confusion. He wasn't sure if Kaden suffered from short term memory loss, or if he was, as Sonya put it, just plain retarded. "Kaden," the Angel said as he placed a hand on his shoulder. "This _girl_ you're going to _school_ broke your nose, gave you a concussion, and knocked you out for several hours… _without_ a weapon…" Silver eyes wandered to the face of the Kilikan. "And that was only a few hours ago… You can't really expect to beat her tomorrow… or ever for that matter."

"Pft, man, you don't know me," he said as he pushed the Angel's hand away. "I'm Kaden Jinkun, don't worry about it."

"That you may be," Maximus gravely replied as his jovial demeanor waned. "However, you'll be a _dead_ Kaden Jinkun if you don't watch yourself, baka…" Shaking his head, he rolled his eyes as he moved past the fire heir and towards the exit. He didn't know Kaden all that well, but he could be nearly positive that he'd waste a lot of time healing his wounds.

---xXx---

A/N: Well I apologize for any errors and I hope you enjoyed it ... I know I liked writing it :P Please Review


	16. Get Real

Author's Note: Oh boy, I realize I haven't updated in ages. But, I have really been busy. I know it seems ludicrous, but school has been a bitch. Now I spent the last week or so working on this chapter and I really apologize if some characters seem slightly OCC... I tried, but I haven't written with my beloved OC's in ages. Well I once again apologize. I hope you enjoy it ) Nothing all that exciting happens, but its  
fun at least. Please Review!!

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**Get Real **

After the heirs assembled back onto the bridge, they each scattered in their own direction. Kyria ran off to find Ryu, Tidus ran off to find Yuna, and Julia ran off to avoid Kaden. They had some time to kill, seeing as how Gippal wasn't departing for Besaid until the following morning.

Kyria pranced towards Ryu's door, rapping lightly on the metallic barrier. "Anybody home?" her melodic voice carried through the titanium. She shifted her weight from her right leg to her left leg and back to her right as she waited for a reply. A few moments passed before she heard the sounds of someone shuffling across the room. When the door opened, a weary looking Ryu answered. Yawning and stretching his arm over his head he smiled down at her.

"And to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?" He said as he took a step back allowing her pass into his room.

Stepping inside she shrugged her shoulders and glanced up at him. "Don't know… uhm… did I wake you?"

He shook his head, "Don't worry about it."

She smiled. It was nice to see a friendly face, especially after spending some time with Sonya and the newest edition to their group. "Good, cause I do enjoy your company a bit more than I do Sonya's."

Ryu chuckled as he stretched his arms over his head. "Well, I'm a bit hungry." He placed a hand on her head and ruffled her hair a bit. "How does some food sound to you, eh, beautiful?"

Enthusiasm laced her words as she spoke, "Sounds great!" Poking his nose she winked. "Race ya," turning on the spot she immediately sprinted from the room and down the hall, leaving a Ryu to try and make up on lost time.

"Hey wait up!" he called, laughter filling the gaps between his words. "No fair, you cheated!"

"Catch me if you can," the brown haired heiress taunted from ahead. Smacking her hand on a button found on the wall, the door before her opened, and she quickly disappeared from sight.

Ryu tried to mimic her action, but he wouldn't be so lucky. As luck would have it, Sonya and Kaden would just so happen to be crossing paths with Ryu that day.

"IDIOT!" the harsh words sliced through the air. The single word was laced with enough malice that a rock would tremble in fear. As the word bounced around Ryu's ear canal, his eyes widened with trepidation.

Orange hair streaked by, bumping into the wind heir. His expression was frantic and he was muttering something about wanting his mother. The bump from Kaden knocked Ryu off balance. This normally wouldn't have been a problem, had the hot tempered, violent prone Sonya not been chasing after him.

As Ryu stumbled forward, he knocked into Sonya who was coming through the doorway to the left. In a spastic manner, both Ryu and Sonya flailed to the floor, Ryu landing ontop of the deranged Angel. Blue eyes met emerald eyes. Fear met anger. Ryu's face met Sonya's fist. A reasonably loud _crunch_ could be heard as Ryu rolled on the floor in pain.

A scowling Sonya rushed to her feet and stormed off after the fleeing Kaden. The obscenities spewing from her mouth could be heard long after Sonya was out of view.

A few short moments passed before Maximus came strolling through. Spotting Ryu he tilted his head and glanced down the hallway. "Ah, I see Sonya was here," his jubilant demeanor shining through his words. A smiling adorned his face and his eye seemed to shine with amusement as he crouched down besides the wind heir. "Broken nose? Sonya's specialty." Swatting away Ryu's own hands, Maximus placed his palm over the broken appendage. "You should try to stay away from Sonya's bad side… It'd be better for your health."

Ryu poked lightly at his fixed nose as he shot Maximus an incredulous expression. "Sonya has a side that _isn't _bad?" His eyes were wide in disbelief as he turned to the direction he originally intended. "Could have fooled me…"

"You'll eventually catch on to her less than bad moods," Maximus said as he brushed his pants off. "That is… if you survive that long…" With a less than reassuring pat on the back, Maximus started down the hallway. "I hear the lovely melody of Sonya's temper…" he said referring to the vulgarity that could still be faintly heard. "I should go make sure no one is dead…" With a smile and a wave, Maximus disappeared down the hall.

Ryu shook his head as she walked through the door. He couldn't wait to get away from this. He was convinced everyone was losing their sanity, if they had any to begin with. Living with these people was proving to nothing short of tiresome. Maximus was nothing short of apathetic toward everything, with this cheerful mood that seemed to shine through even at the worst times and Sonya… well living with Sonya was like trying to convince a starving wild coyote not to attack you while you have a juicy steak tied to your throat… Impossible.

Shaking the thoughts from his head, he approached Kyria and forced a smile to his face. "So… what do you want to eat?"

---xXx---

Maximus healed the shattered arm of Kaden while Sonya stalked off shouting "And keep that in mind for next time."

The Angel of light waiting til the waving angel was out of ear shot before saying, "You'd be wise to never let there be a _next time_" Nodding his head, he pulled the lanky heir to his feet. "Actually, you'd be wise to never cross Sonya again…"

Kaden jerked his arm away from the brunette angel. "It'd be wise if you didn't touch me." Flexing his arms he kissed his biceps before saying "These guns can be handled by ladies only. I don't want you damaging the goods." Quirking an eyebrow, he jabbed the angel with his index finger. "Got it?"

A chuckle escaped Maximus' lips. "Are you trying to intimidate me with you _guns?_" His silver eyes sparkled with amusement. "You seem to forget that I've been on the receiving end of _Sonya's guns._ And last I checked, those guns were pretty lethal. So… am I afraid of … you?" Tilting his head a condescending smirk crept onto his lips. "No." Grabbing Kaden's hand, he forcefully shoved it back towards its owner.

"Ey Man, didn't I just say not to touch me," he stepped back, trying to shake free of the benevolent angel's grip. "Yo! I don't want to hold your hand, Fag… Let go!" Despairing over the failed attempt to break free, Kaden's face contorted, slight panic leaking into his expression. The pressure on his hand was slowly increasing, and his index finger was being bent further back than it should. "Ow! Ow!! What's the deal!?" He cried out.

Maximus smiled brightly. "I'm neither as violent nor as ill tempered as Sonya, but I won't tolerate being disrespected." He held Kaden's hand, his grip didn't loosen, but it didn't get any stronger either. "When you are told something it is for your best interest, regardless of whatever your miniscule mind may think. Sonya and I are looking out for your best interest. We are here because we are doing a favor… I can deal with your ignorance, I can deal with the inexperience in combat, but I will not deal with your complete and total lack of regard for us." Releasing his hand he stepped past him. He took a few steps before a thought flashed in his mind. "Try to rest up tonight… tomorrow you'll be training, as well as sealing a temple. You'll need your energy." Waving his hand over his shoulder he left, "Farewell."

---xXx---

Julia slipped quietly onto the bridge. She had successfully avoided Kaden as well as Sonya. She maneuvered quietly towards the window. The bridge was empty; the only thing that kept her company was the soft humming from the generators that kept the electricity flowing through the airship. Glancing out the window, she watched as the sun began to descend below the horizon. The sky was a fiery mixture of red orange and pink.

Her eyes traveled to the complex command center for the airship. Her fingers twitched, compelling her to move towards it so she could run her hand over the piece of machinery. Her swirled violet eyes were wide, as her mouth fell slightly ajar. She hadn't been around Machina like this since she ran from the Machine Faction all those years ago. She wanted to tinker with it. To figure out how this thing worked, it was the Al Bhed in her.

"Go ahead, Jules."

She jumped. The unexpected interjection caught her off guard. She turned around quickly, almost falling over her own two feet. "Gippal!" She breathed as she regained her balance. "You scared me half to death," she scolded him. "You know better."

He laughed. "Yes, yes, I know better than to interrupt an Al Bhed woman when she is admiring a piece of Machina" Placing a hand on her head he ruffled her hair, pulling the loose strands down over her face. He dodged the swats from Julia's hands and made a bee-line for the control panel. "I take it you never got to work on an airship."

"No… I was only 15 at the time, you said you wanted more experienced people working on it," she shrugged her shoulders. She had always been slightly irked by that. She was a capable mechanic, more capable then some of the "more experienced" workers, but she would never tell him that. It was one of the reasons she left.

"Yeah…" the one syllable word dragged out for a few seconds as he flipped a few switched, making the engine roar to life. "How about I teach you to fly one?" He glanced over his shoulder, winking with his good eye.

Her eyes widened as a smile sprouted on her face. "Really?" He nodded his head. "I'd love to!" Quickly stepping forward she listened and watched intently as Gippal explained the different dynamics and aeronautics of the airship.

---xXx---

The metal ground shook, alerting all its occupants that they were now moving, the destination? Besaid.

Maximus was currently making his way around the ship, making a pit stop here and there to heal an injured heir. After making a final trip around the ship, Maximus decided he could retire for the evening. The heirs would be sleeping and since he doubted any of them would snore in such a way as to irritate Sonya, he wouldn't really be needed til morning.

Coming to the end of the hallway, he knocked on the door before him three times. It took but three seconds to get a response.

"Go away, Maximus, or so help you Dios, I'll kill you fifteen times before you hit the ground."

Ignoring the less than welcoming greeting, Maximus opened the door and stepped inside. The room was cast in shadows, the only light came from three candles that rested upon her dresser. "Ah, just like your house in Anarui," he looked around, a shimmer of nostalgia shining in his eyes. "Makes me feel all warm inside."

"If you don't get out of my room…" she started as she glanced over her shoulder, "I will make your insides… _your outsides_." She narrowed her eyes. Her left hand was resting over the handle of her gun that was placed on her dresser, ready to use at any given moment.

Smiling, Maximus moved further into the room. He walked towards the window, toying with the heavy blinds that kept the light from filtering through the window. "I always wondered how you kept strange thing from living and spawning in your humble abode…" Moving aside the blinds he glanced outside, the sun was practically set. "I mean after all, its so dark… though I suppose that intense desire to kill would scare off even the toughest of molds." He chuckled to himself as her jumped to the side avoiding a gun shot aimed for his head.

"Maximus, I suggest you leave, the next shot will _not_ miss," she hissed as she reaimed the pistol.

"I wanted to speak with you about a few things," His nonchalance was getting under Sonya's skin, not that it was a hard feat to accomplish. He ignored her threats, and even went so far as to poke at some of her belonging that were in her room. Sonya was seething at this point. She had all she could do not to get up and lunge for his throat. "How "early" do you want to get seal on the Besaid Temple… ?"

Her grip on her gun loosened as she bit lightly on her lower lip. She needed to estimate how long it would take to recover from the spell she used this evening. She figured that it had already replenished and if not, she'd definitely be better by morning, but it had been over a millennium since she had to dig into that so she'd be better off not risking it. "Mid-afternoon."

Tilting his head in her direction, the light angel inquired, "And what per say are we to do til then? That is awful late in the day to sit around and do nothing…"

Her eye twitched as she grabbed the holster for her guns and hung it up on her door. "Train them. You can have them in the morning, I'll take early afternoon, then we'll seal the temple. Really, Maximus, I don't think you need to me to layout a schedule for you…"

"I think we should make your training after we seal the temple…" He made quick eye contact with Sonya, smiling as he said, "They can then spend the rest of the day in the infirmary… since that seems to be where your training lands them."

"Heh…" She smirked, the closest anyone would ever get to a smile. Though it was a slight exaggeration, her training did at least leave them with numerous bumps and bruises. "That's true…" She gave a shrug of her shoulders before taking a few steps towards Maximus. "Fine. I'll train after we seal the temple…" Grabbing the back of Maximus shirt, she forcefully pulled him toward the door. She shoved him forward as she said, "Now, leave, while you still have the chance to walk through an open door… If you don't leave... I'll make you fly through it."

Maximus stopped in the door frame, hands pressed firmly against them. "One more thing…" Sonya growled at him as she tried to shove him the remaining foot out of her room. It was to no avail, Maximus wasn't leaving just yet. "Why is your dark presence so weak? Normally its an overwhelming feeling that could suffocate a shoopuff…" His silver eyes were laced with a mixture of curiosity and concern.

She froze. She knew he'd pick up on it, but she didn't think he'd call her out on it so quickly. Her expression hardened as she quickly recovered from the initial shock and shoved her counter part out the door. "I know not of what drabble you are going on about. Now I won't say it again. Leave."

His brow was furrowed and he wore a skeptical expression upon his face. "Very Well…" Taking one last good, long look at Sonya, he turned his back to her and left for his own room. _'I'll find out what she's keeping from me… she can't hide it forever…'_

Sonya slammed her door shut, locking it for good measure. Keeping her handicap a secret was becoming a bit of a hassle. Maximus knew something was up, though he would. She normally emitted an intense dark aura and now it was suddenly missing. _'He's observant… he'll be watching me… looking for anything out of the ordinary like…'_ her eyes widened and her heart skipped a beat. "Wounds…" What if they came across something dangerous, surely he'd take note that she failed to use magic, cause even if she did just use Oblivion Rapier, she'd normally manipulate the dark arts as well. Not only that, but he would also notice that her wounds weren't healing properly. She bit her lower lip as she knelt down on her bed. "Shit…" Grabbing a pillow from the head of soft bed, she held it close and laid down. She had a lot to cover up, she'd have to be extra careful til she regained her powers.

---xXx---

It didn't take that long to land the airship in Besaid, but Julia was up most the night anyway. She, Gippal and Rikku spent the night reminiscing about HOME and other various times from their childhood. Julia had practically grown up with the two blond Al Bheds and it was nice to catch up with them. By the time they actually went to sleep, the sun had begun to ride and a few early risers, namely Maximus, were already up and about.

"Ohayo, Julia!"

She used to her hand to cover her mouth so that she could muffle a yawn as she turned to face the voice. "Mornin', Max." Her violet eyes were weary, the skin under her eyes slightly wrinkled as bags began to form. "How are you?"

"Fantastic, if you ignore the fact that I sleep next door to the one person who can and will kill me because she feels like it." With an outstretched hand, he brushed aside a few random strands of hair from her face. Smiling, he pinched her cheek. "You, on the other hand, look horrendous…"

"Gee… thanks…" Taking a step back she went on to explain. "I haven't slept yet. I spent most of the evening with Gippal and Rikku… I was actually heading there now." She motioned to the door before her.

"I see, don't let me keep you then!" Placing a hand on the indigo haired girl's shoulder he gently pushed her toward her room. "You'd do best to sleep on my command. If you don't you'll sleep on Sonya's and you'll be unconscious for a week."

"I've picked up on that," she admitted as she moseyed into her bedroom. Waving a tired hand over her shoulder she bid Maximus goodnight before collapsing onto the cushioned bed, besides Kyria's looking to sleep.

The door closed silently as Maximus strode away from the room. He hadn't been to Besaid since he followed Sonya, and that trip was merely to uphold security. He'd need to find a place they could train, that wasn't in the public eye.

---xXx---

A few hours had past and Maximus had rounded up the heirs in a secluded area of the beach. It was a decent sized area, surrounded by rock on three sides and one by water. The water lapped up the shore, each time coming halfway of the sand before retreating back.

"The breeze is lovely," Maximus commented as he placed his hand in the air.

"hmph…" The disgruntled noise came from a displeased Kaden. "Are we going to "train" or just admire the scenery?"

He closed his hand into a fist as he sent a side glance at the orange haired human. "Very well, we'll get started immediately. Pair off, elemental opposites. Kyria and Kaden. Julia and Tidus. Ryu you'll be with me."

Ryu's mouth fell ajar. "Why am I _always_ paired with you or Sonya… I think you guys secretly want to kill me…"

"Its really no secret with Sonya," Maximus said with a grin. "Though, Ryu, trust me, if I wanted you dead… you would be. Now, enough procrastination… let's go. I want you all to go at each other like it's the real thing. It'll be the only way you can get the control over your element…"

---xXx---

Kaden placed a hand on Kyria's shoulder. "Don't worry, toots, I'll go easy on ya…"

"Tsk, if you wish, though I won't make the same promise…" she said as she grabbed his hand removed it from her shoulder.

"I'm not all that worried…"

Still holding his wrist, Kyria grinned. "Well, you should be…"

Kaden's blinked a few times before his eyes fell upon his semi frozen arm. "Yevon!" He jumped back away from her frantically scratching at the ice. "I .. I wasn't ready… that's all…"

Snapping her fingers, Kyria watched as the ice melted. "Are you ready now?" She bounced on the balls of her feet, ready to go. She didn't know much about Kaden, but she was confident she could take him on.

He nodded. Holding up his hand, Kaden readied a spell. "Let's turn up the heat." He brought his arm down, casting a fira spell at the petite girl.

The spell was powerful, but Kaden was slow. Kyria had already left a glacial impression of herself to take the brunt of the attack. Placing her hands on the ground, she covered the sanded area with a thin sheet of ice.

Because of the atmosphere they were in, Kyria's shoes weren't exactly the best kind for ice, but she would make do. She sprung out from behind her ice clone and immediately cast a blizzaga spell. Kaden could barely manage to avoid the ice spike that jutted out of the ground, and with the ground slicked over with ice his escape only led to him falling on the ground.

The ice heiress smirked as she skated over towards him. "I think you need to cool down." She knelt besides him and placed her hand on the ground. Slowly the ice began to claim parts of Kaden, looking to making the fire god into an ice sculpture.

Kaden's eyes widened. This was bad. In an act of desperation mixed with a bit of panic, Kaden cast the strongest fire spell he could muster…

---xXx---

Julia and Tidus were having difficulties sparring. Tidus' spell didn't always work on call, but when they did they had a bit of power behind them. Julia on the other hand could manipulate thunder, but she lacked the force to really harm any one.

"Machina!" Julia cried out as a misaimed water spell hit the ground next to her splattering water up onto her. She was officially soaked through. If she wasn't hit straight on by one of his spells, she normally got the aftereffects of one that landed not far off to the side. Wiping away the water that hit her face, she growled at the blonde blitzer. "That's it." She threw both hands into the air and began to cast thunder at him rapid succession.

Jumping and spinning, Tidus tried to evade all the spells, but Julia was fast. She had very good control over her element and it was evident every time she sparred. Fighting her made Tidus feel like he was back on the Thunder Plains, only worse cause all the bolts were aimed at him.

"Argh!" A pained cry came from him as a bolt hit his shoulder. Unable to recover quickly enough from the initial spell, Tidus was caught in a maelstrom of them. Five bolts of electricity hit in a row. Though they didn't hold the power they could, that many hits at a time brought his to his knees. His body convulsed as he waited for the pain to subside.

His eyes were closed for a while. When he opened them again, Julia was bent over, hands on her knees, breathing heavily… apparently all the spell casting was beginning to get to her.

Apprehension laced his eyes when he looked past Julia to where Kaden and Kyria were training. "Julia, watch out!!"

-xXx-

Ryu was in trouble. He couldn't even get Maximus to budge an inch, not matter how strong the wind was and he was getting tired. _'Damn it…' _

"Yare, yare, Ryu, have you even been trying?" The Angel didn't know what to do with him. He didn't realize the potential of his power, and if he was just going to try and blow him over, he wouldn't get anywhere but a one way ticket to the infirmary for magical exhaustion.

"Yes. I have!" He took a few breathes of air before continuing, "I don't know what else to do… Wind is such a _lame_ element."

Silver eyes widened in shock. "May Eos strike you down right here and now… Lame? So you really don't know what you are capable of." He held his hand out to the side, his fingers twitching as he readied a spell. "You could be so powerful and you don't even bother to ask how… _that_ is what is 'lame', Ryu, you… not the element." Without a single second of hesitation, Maximus place the tips of his five fingers to Ryu's chest and let a very small scale holy spell explode into his chest, sending the heir flying back into the salty waters surrounding Besaid.

Ryu surfaced from the water, gasping from air. His chest burned, and not just from lack of oxygen. That spell left a scar. Five small circular burn marks were left on his chest. Collecting all his strength, he pulled himself out of the water. He went to open his mouth to talk, but what he saw distracted him from his original intents. "Holy shit! Watch out!!"

Kaden's spell exploded. Fire immediately covered the area. It broke him free from the icey jail Kyria had placed him in, and it melted the icy covering that was over the ground. Unfortunately, that's not the only thing it did. The fire spilled over into the other areas.

Fortunately, no one was fatally harmed. The only one who didn't escape unscathed was Kyria. Being in such close range, the skin on her arm was burned before she could muster up a dome of ice to surround her. Tidus had mustered the strength to set up a wall of water that caused the flame to evaporate before hitting into him or Julia.

"Holy mother of Dios," Maximus proclaimed from the air above them. White wings flapped in the air as the brunette Angel held the dirty blond up out of harms way. "Ryu… have you been snacking late at night? Cause you aren't exactly a lightweight, and I know with Sonya's training its not possible that its due to lack of exercise…"

"If holding me is such a problem… then put me down."

"Hm… Ok." Without a second thought or hesitation, Maximus released the boy from his arms, allowing him to fall the fifteen feet to the ground. He watched in amusement as Ryu flailed in the air as if trying to fly before he crash landed on top of Kaden.

Carefully, Maximus floated down to the sandy shore. "Kaden, next time you try to break free from one of Kyria's holds, try not to incinerate the rest of us. I have enough trouble keeping you alive with Sonya around, I don't care to follow you around as well…"

Kaden glowered at the ground as he squirmed under the wind god. "Man, get off of me."

"Gladly," was the response Ryu gave him as he climbed to his feet. "Are we done here?"

"It should go without saying… You guys are bad at full potential, to continue now would just be wasted time." Spreading his wings again, Maximus took to the sky. "Oh, meet outside the temple in oh say… thirty minutes. We'll do a sealing then!"

Ryu rubbed his back as he shook his head and started back towards the airship. "I really don't know who is worse… Sonya or Maximus…"

"Why would that even be hard to consider. Sonya is way worse than Max, silly," Kyria said with a grin as she walked along.

Ryu stole a glance back at where the Angel had just been. Shaking his head, he shrugged his shoulder. "I wouldn't be too sure…"

---xXx---

"Let's get this over with." Sonya was irritated. Maximus had tried to figure out what was wrong with her and was more or less just following her around. If she didn't find him annoying before, he topped the charts today and she let him know that when she broke a kitchen chair over his back. "I want to be away from the lot of you as soon as possible…"

"The feeling is mutual," Ryu muttered as he stepped ahead of Sonya.

Green eyes were narrowed and in the time it took to blink, Ryu was face down on the floor with a knee shoved in his back. "Don't you _dare_ get snappy with me… Next time your tongue is sharp, I'm going to cut it out. Do you understand that, or is that too complex so that tiny brain of yours to comprehend?"

He opened his mouth and spit out a bit of earth that Sonya so graciously helped him eat. "I got it."

"Good," she sneered before getting up off him and leading the group to the temple.

---xXx---

"That took entirely too long," Nick complained as he watched the group of heirs disappear into the foliage. He had been sitting in that tree for hours now and the airship was _finally_ empty. With a few quick motions, his feet were planted firmly on the ground. "Since I can't get them when they are in a group…" He slipped inconspicuously towards the landing gear of the airship. "I'll just have to be sure they don't go running off to another place." Taking one last glance around, he climbed up the support of the airship and right into the boiler room.

Nick knew a good deal about mechanics, seeing as how his closest friends were Al Bhed, it was almost second nature to him. He planned to dismantle the inner workings of the HighWind. It would take Gippal at least a full day to fix what he intended to do, and if he was lucky it would take longer, giving him a chance to get in a quick meeting with Sonya.

A smile crept to his face at the thought of Sonya. He didn't know what it was about her, but he was infatuated with the girl. Everything about her. Her attitude, her looks, her performance in bed, it was all outstanding. But that wasn't why he was here. Shaking his head, he focused again. He had work to do and he had to do it fast.

Quickly and quietly as he could, Nick directed himself through the airship to a massive control room on the bottom floor. Here one would find all the wires that powered the airship, as well as the water valves and multiple other controls. Twitching his finger, he grinned as he went to work, unhooking some wires, completely removing others. He connected wires that didn't go together and turned out controls that should always remain on. He even went so far as to turn off the back up generators. After he finished up, this airship was going no where. "Done…" Stuffing the loose wires into his pocket his quickly made his way for the exit. He needed some kind of plan, there were a lot of people on Besaid. How was he going to do this without attracting unwanted attention…

---xXx---

Sweat dripped down her forehead as she practically sprinted out of the temple. Once her boot covered foot stepped onto the pavement outside the temple, she darted to the side. Stealthily she moved around the building where she could recompose herself. This is why she wanted to train before this. Tapping into her reserves was painful and it took a lot out of her.

Leaning up against the concrete wall, she used her forearm to wipe away the sweat that was on her brow. She ran her hands along her face and down her neck. _'I'm not going to be able to keep this up…'_ She sighed, taking in a deep breath of air. _'This takes too much effort, and to hide it…argh…' _ She pushed herself up onto her feet. _'Show time…' _

Her breathing steadied and she casually strolled out in front of temple. Her eyes fell upon the group of heirs that had congregated a few feet from the entrance of the temple. "Look alive, you worthless piles of matter." She made strides towards the group, her arms crossed over her chest. "I want you all down to the small clearing outside of the village in twenty minutes." Her eyes scanned the group. "And someone go get that other idiot, we'll need him for training as well." She waited a few minutes for the heirs to disperse, however, instead of moving, they just stood there, staring at her, mouth wide open. Scowling she hissed, "Move!"

Instantaneously, all four of the scattered in different directions; some moved towards the training ground, others towards the airship.

"Idiots," she complained as she robbed the temples on her head.

"Just think of it this way, Sonya, they are helping you, help yourself…" Maximus said, reminding her of the direness this mission held.

Rolling her eyes she replied, "Helping me? Maximus dearest, they make me want to kill people. How does that help me?"

"When do you not want to kill people?"

"_Maximus_, right now, the biggest threat on Spira to humanity is me," she sneered. "Do you think its wise to antagonize me?"

"Oh, but Sonya," Maximus said when inflated enthusiasm. Placing his hands on her arms he beamed at her. "You're so cute when you're mad."

Her expression never faltered and her temper didn't flair. In a very calm tone she merely replied, "You have to the count of 1 before I rip your arms off and beat you to death with them." Tilting her head she paused for a moment before opening her mouth again "On…" But before she could finish, Maximus vanished in a flash of bright light, nearly blinding the dark angel. Scowling, she hissed at the light while cursing at him under her breath.

---xXx---

Sonya sauntered around the inner circle of the heirs, she was going to attempt a new approach. They obviously couldn't hit her, that'd be asking for a miracle. She'd probably have better luck converting Maximus gay. "We're going to do something different," she said as she stopped pacing. Her hands were placed firmly on her hips. "You can't hit me, right?" She waited as a reluctant yes sounded from all five mouths around her before starting up again. "Well, thats not the only part of fighting…" Her eyes scanned over the group. She watched them fidget nervously, their eyes shifting towards Maximus was seated under a palm tree. He had insisted on coming with Sonya on all her training sessions now. He couldn't afford for another mishap to occur.

"Now, hitting your opponent is a vital part of any fight," she explained. "But unless you're a one hit wonder… it doesn't make you a winner. You have to be able to block, evade, and counter." A thought crossed her mind making her pause for a moment before she added in. "When I say evade, I mean purposely… not that spastic crap you do now…"

She glared at Ryu. He was notorious for that last minute throwing yourself out of the way. "That will work with an unskilled fighter… but the people you're going to be fighting?" She threw back her head and scoffed. "Don't be stupid."

She leaned the upper part of her body down and outstretched her arm. Her fingers wrapped themselves around a rock. She stood straight again as she carelessly tossed the rock into the air. "Dodging an attack is probably the most important thing that plays into a fight. You must watch your opponent's moves, anticipate their next move, avoid it and counter."

Green eyes fell upon a distracted Kaden. A frown etched itself upon her face as she continued to talk, "Maximus and I do it, so, do _not_ think you are above it." Her eyes were narrowed as she knuckled the rock in her hand. In the time it took to blink Sonya had hurtled the rock at Kaden. The thrown projectile reached its destination and it was made known by the loud outcry from the Kilikan.

Kaden slapped his hands to his forehead as he cried out, "Yevon!"

"Is a man made deity that tried to destroy the world," Maximus said as swiftly made his way towards the bleeding heir. He chuckled to himself as he healed the whimpering heir.

"Do you understand?" she hissed as Maximus stepped away from the orange haired fire god and back under the shade from the tree he was residing in.

"Sonya…" Tidus spoke out. "I thought you were just going to attack us til we died.. or something…?" He laughed awkwardly as he scratched the back of his head.

Sonya looked at the water heir curiously. Her lip curled up as a scowl fell across her face. "Who said I wasn't?" She didn't wait for a response, nor would she have listened if he made one. She pushed her way past the heirs and out of the circle. "You have to the counter of ten to prepare yourself… then I'm coming at you with intents to kill. One…" She paused and looked at them. They didn't know whether they should draw their weapons or not. "Two…" a grin came to her face. It was the same grin she wore anytime she was about to fight. "Ten!" Skipping eight numbers, she leapt into action.

She'd caught them all off guard, not a one moved. They didn't know how to react. She grinned and went for Kaden first. His dumb expression and nonchalant attitude throughout her entire lecture irked her and she couldn't wait to wipe it off him. She pushed off the ground and jumped at him. She placed her hands on his shoulders for support as she brought her knee forward, slamming it into his stomach.

The fire heir dropped to the ground like a ball of lead. With the force of the blow and the added weight of the small angel, Kaden made an extremely hard impact with the ground. No sooner had his back slammed into the pavement, did Sonya jump into action again.

She threw out her left arm, her hand wrapping tightly around Tidus' arm. The blitzer barely had time to prepare himself before he was jerked forward, his upper body flying down towards the ground. Thankfully, his blitz training allowed him to react properly. He pushed off the ground with one foot, and flipped forward, making it so that he landed on his feet instead of his head.

This however is exactly what Sonya had anticipated. Using the leverage she gained from Tidus avoiding a face plant, Sonya pulled herself up and practically ran up ryo's side. Giving the wind heir a swift kick to the head, she pushed off him, released her grip on Tidus' and twisted her body through the air. When she came to a stop, she was seated upon the blitzer's shoulders, staring down at his face. Tightening the grip her thighs hand on his neck she threw her body weight downward, forcing the trapped heir down with her. She rolled her body, practically throwing the god face first into the ground.

Tidus didn't move after he hit the ground, he was too stunned to move. In fact all of the heirs were. In the time it would have taken to count to ten, she had three of five heirs sprawled across the floor.

Sonya's eyes wandered towards the two female heirs. A malicious sparkle shone in her eyes. "Boo." She spoke sharply, causing Julia and Kyria to shriek. They both turned away from the dark angel and attempted to flee. "You can run…" Sonya said in a melodious tone," but you can't hide." Jumping to her feet she sped out in front of the two heiresses. "Mine!" she wound out her right arm looking to clock Kyria across the face.

She missed. But she only missed because in a desperate move, Kyria threw herself to the floor to avoid the blow. Sonya recovered from the miss and instead got Julia in the stomach. Spinning around back to Kyria, she looked down at the heiress. Her eyes were closed as if she was preparing for the pain from the blow. "Why are your eyes closed?!" Sonya snapped. She grabbed a fistful of brown hair and pulled her up to eye level. "You can't block or dodge what you _can't see._" Emerald met azure as Sonya waited for acknowledgement. "Understand?"

"Yes, Ma'am…" Kyria stammered before she slammed her head into Sonya's.

"Argh!" The dark angel cursed as she let go of the heiress and placed a hand on her head. That had been a stupid move on her part. "Very nice.." she started to say she threw up her right arm. "Try, Julia…" Her arm was currently blocking the attack from the thunder heiress' staff. "But the form was all wrong." Slipping her arm over the staff, she ripped it from the heiress' arm. "Try this!" With a godly amount of strength, Sonya snapped the staff around, connecting the metal shaft with the neck of Kyria. A loud crack echoed through the area before the heiress fell to the ground.

Sonya rounded on Julia, staff in hand. "Sneak attacks… tsk, your stealth and form sucks. When you swing like this," she lifted her arms up over her head and held the staff there for a minute, allowing a smirk to creep onto her face before she brought the metal stick down on the heiress' left shoulder. "Casts a shadow…" she explained through the popping of Julia's shoulder and the loud cry that came from the thunder goddess. The blue haired heir was on her knees, tears clouding her eyes as she tried to hold back sobs from the pain. "So even if they don't sense you… they'll see the shadow and that'll be their warning… However, if you swing like this…" Sonya swung the staff horizontally, slamming into the unharmed arm, breaking that arm as well. "They'll never see it coming…"

She threw the bladed staff besides it owner before taking in the scene. Tidus, Ryu, and Kaden were just beginning to get to their feet while Maximus was over Kyria healing her broken neck. Julia was shaking, tears silently streaking down her face as she waited for Maximus to heal her.

"Pitiful…" Not a one of the heirs had done anything worth merit. They boys had been taken down before the count of ten. Kyria landed a hit but only cause Sonya had let her guard down. Julia tried to sneak in an attack but her form was awful. "You all disgust me… do you even want to save this forsaken piece of crap we call Spira?"

"Of course we do!" Kyria cried out.

"Then why do you keep wasting my time with such crap?" The dark angel scolded. "I'm sick and tired of your cocky attitude. You all act like you are Dios' gift to Spira, when in all actuality you aren't worthy of breathing the air that surrounds us."

Tidus stepped up before the group. His eyes were hardened as his hands balled into fists at his side. "How can you say that?" His voice cracked as he spoke. Sonya had hit a sore spot. "We're all trying hard."

"Trying hard?" She scoffed. "If you tried hard you wouldn't whine when you got hit. You'd get back up and try again. Instead you get hit and sit there like an idiot just waiting for Maximus to heal you" She rounded on him, her eyes narrowed "Lemme tell you something, when we take on Gabriella and Hades they aren't going to hold back and Maximus isn't going to be able to save your ass…"

"Be realistic, Sonya." It was Ryu. "How much do you expect from us? Its been like what a month? Two… maybe?... How much did you think we'd improve?"

"Realistic?" Her lip twitched upward into a sneer. "It's not _I _that needs to be "realistic" it is _you._ What do you expect to do when these gods show up? Roll up into the fetal position and cry? Cause at the rate you're all traveling, it'd have the same effect."

"What the hell is your problem," he snapped as he wrapped a supportive arm around Kyria. "We are TRYING and we will improve, but its not going to be over night. Welcome to _reality, _Sonya."

Jumping in to ease the aggravated Sonya, Maximus spoke up. "Reality. You say that like the reality that Sonya and I live in is wrong. All of you have been living a very sugar coated life… well with maybe the exception of Tidus. However, Reality isn't father knows best anymore, it's a kick in the face on a Saturday night with a steel toe work boot and a trip to the hospital bloodied and bashed. The quicker you learn that, the better."

The group stopped talking. Their eyes were all on Maximus. Did he really just agree with Sonya? Did he really just more or less tell them that they sucked? His words really put things into perspective; this wasn't going to be easy. In fact, it was going to be hard. Real hard. The only question that was left to ask was, will they be able to do this so they can save Spira in time.


	17. Talented Human

**Chapter 17: Talented Human**

After the training ordeal, the group, save Sonya, just returned back to the airship. There was no point in continuing. Sonya was in an exceptionally bad mood, and Maximus straight out refused to even let the thought of training be vocalized. They would be leaving the following day and hopefully with a new environment things would be slightly different, though they doubted it.

Sonya made her way to the beach. She needed to be away from everyone. The heirs were pissing her off, Maximus' constantly following her was pissing her off, and the fact that she was still powerless probably pissed her off more than anything. Her temper was at its breaking point.

Her hands were crossed over her chest as she sauntered down towards the water. Sighing heavily she took a seat down on the sand. Slowly, she took off her shoes, tossing them to the side. She buried her feet in the sand as she gazed out over the water. This whole ordeal was looking nothing short of catastrophic. How was she and Maximus supposed to train these idiots to an extent where they could hold their own to gods. _Gods. _She wasn't sure if she and Maximus could stand up to them, never mind these other imbeciles.

"Damn it…" An exasperated sigh escaped her lips. She tilted her head back and looked up at the sky, the star sparkling brightly in the clear sky. "Dios… what are you thinking?"

Sonya sat by herself for a while. Her eyes were focused on the water lapping up along the shore before her. She was lost in her own thoughts. Doubts began to cloud her mind. She had too much riding on this. There was so much pressure being placed on her and Maximus and it was getting to her. Then with the added pressure of not having her magic, she was finding herself more irritable, if that was possible.

Since she was so absorbed in her thoughts, she didn't hear the unexpected guest walk up from behind her. "Mind if I sit with you?"

"Hmm..?" She slowly tilted her head upward, her eyes were squinted so she could see better in the night atmosphere. "If you wish…" Her voice was low as she averted her attention towards the water once more.

The unidentified body took a seat besides her. "Nice night, no?"

"Yea…" She frowned and looked at him. "Call me crazy… but are you _stalking _me, Nick?"

His eyes widened for a moment before returning to normal. Completely caught off guard by her question, he stammered over his words. "I… well… you see… I was just visiting Besaid… I have family here…" He quickly turned his face away from her, wondering if she'd pick up on the lie.

"And when I was in… Djose?" She eyed him suspiciously. Something wasn't right about this.

He mentally cursed. He didn't even think of that. They were traveling all over the place and him just showing up did seem kind of strange. "I… was… uh…"

She threw up her hand. "Forget it… it matters not." Pulling her knees close to her chest she rested her head on her knees. "Is there a reason why you are here, cause if there isn't I really would just like to be alone…?"

"Huh…" Nick looked at the petite girl besides him. He didn't know Sonya well. Hell outside the bedroom he didn't know anything about her, but something was off. From the short time he spent with her, he knew she had a strong personality and this was far from that. "Hey, Sonya…" He lifted his hand and brushed her hair away from her face. "Are you ok?"

She half smiled. "Fine." Taking his hand in her own she gently squeezed it. "Don't worry about it." She climbed to her feet and picked up her shoes. "I'll see ya around." Smiling, she turned away from him and started up the beach.

"Wait… Sonya, you going to be around long?" He already knew the answer to that, but she already thought he was a stalker as is. He didn't need to make it any more obvious.

"I don't believe so…"

Getting to his knees, he continued, "Well if you are you can come meet me here tomorrow night. I'd like to spend some time with you… I don't know much about you…"

She turned back to him. "I see…" She moved towards him. She stopped in front of him and looked down at him. Going against ever fiber of her being she said, "That sounds fine." Then to further step out of character, Sonya leaned down and gently kissed his forehead. "Jane."

"Later." He waved and watched her body disappear into the dark horizon. He'd see her tomorrow. He knew that already.

-x-

Sonya walked up the ramp of the airship. It was neither early nor late. She could stay up for a number of hours, but she figured sleep would be the best course of action, after all, tomorrow they'd be leaving Besaid and she may need to dip into her reserves again. She rubbed her arm; a bruise was beginning to form. _'Shit…'_ She'd have to figure out how to conceal that.

'_I'll worry about that tomorrow…right now I could go for a bath, possibly soak in some potions see what happens… maybe it'll seep into my pours and heal me…slightly.'_ She scowled. Human made potions and elixirs had no effect on her, she was _never_ human. They _might_ speed up the healing process, but that was a maybe.

She rolled her eyes as she slipped into the storage room. Grabbing a bag full of potions and elixirs, she moved to the bathroom. A bath, even if it was in potions, would sooth her right now, then she could just go to sleep and worry bout concealing her bruises.

The next morning came and Sonya woke up wet with sweat. '_Oh Dios… this better not be some freak side effect to that seal…'_ she sat and wasted no time in slipping out of her shirt. She tossed aside the sweat drenched rag and moved towards her own dresser. She pulled it a black lacey tank top and slipped it over her bra. She quickly pulled her hair back into a ponytail before glancing at the thermostat.

90 degrees.

Her eye twitched. It was ninety degrees in her room. It was no wonder she was drenched in sweat. She scowled and against her preference, she jerked open the shades to the window. A hiss escaped her lips as the bright sun of Besaid smacked her good morning. She turned away from the light and bounded out of her room and down the hall.

Shoving past a scantily clad Kyria, she rushed her way to the bridge. "Why the _hell_ are we _still_ in Besaid and for what unholy reason is my room NINETY DEGREES?!"

Her voice cut through the room, stopping any discussion mid-word.

She glared around the room. "Well?" She hissed.

"We don't know," Gippal finally said, wiping away at the sweat on his forehead. "Nothing is responding… Even the back up generators which would keep the ship at the very least cool shut down…" An exasperate sigh fell from his lips. "Rikku and I are trying to fix it; Julia offered to help as well… I don't know when we'll be back and running…"

Contempt was evident on her face. She loathed the idea of being stuck on Besaid for only Dios knows how long. "So be it." Her words were flat. "We train… Spread the message. Today we train on the beach. Thirty minutes."

Rikku bit her lower lip as she sent a side glance toward Gippal. Sure, Sonya would be off the ship meaning they wouldn't have to worry about her blowing any holes through walls, but she felt kind of bad for the heirs that had to train with her. "I guess I'll go tell them," she said with a sigh before skipping out of the area.

---xXx---

"Wow…" Ryu started as he and Kyria made their way down the sand. "I didn't think it was possible… but you are wearing even _less_ clothing than normal, Sonya. Personal achievement?"

Sonya glared. It was true; she was wearing shorts that rivaled Rikku's short shorts along with a tank exposed her midriff. On her feet where you would normally see boots was a pair of black sneakers. It was like looking at a different Sonya. She seemed almost like a normal teenager, what's more, her hair was even pulled into a ponytail.

"Idiot," she snarled. "It's over ninety degrees and we're on the _beach_, what would you suggest I wear. Cause to be honest, last I checked I'm _overdressed_ for the _beach._"

Kyria placed a hand on Ryu's arm, a silent plea for him to stop. He obliged. This allowed Sonya to explain to them what they would be doing that day. "You all suck… just in case you weren't aware…"

"Oh Thanks for the encouragement, Sonya!" Ryu exclaimed with false cheer that obtained a death glare from the petite angel.

However, she didn't further acknowledge his comment. Instead she went on. "Now, with that in mind, I figured you should at least suck everywhere."

"What the _hell_ are you talking about? Suck? _I _do NOT suck," Kaden's arms were crossed and he wore an indignant expression.

"What Sonya dearest is trying to say is that we are unaware of the terrain we will have to fight on. And she knows you suck on solid ground, she would like you have the same level of training on different surfaces. She doesn't want you to suck on solid ground and then suck more on sand" He motioned to the less than firm ground below them.

"That's some twisted thought pattern," Ryu said with a roll of his eyes.

"Ryu, please don't aggravate her…" Kyria said as she gently elbowed him.

"It's twisted, but correct. I can't have you faltering cause the type of terrain. Sand if a bitch to fight in... If you manage to actually attack back you have a good chance of hitting me, because even I find it difficult to maneuver in sand. But, don't get a false sense of security from that… I'm still more than one hundred times your level… I'll just be slightly slower, but remember… _so will you._" Dropping down into a defensive stance she smirked. "Come at me as you see fit, but remember, I will be attacking back…" Cracking her knuckles she added, "Begin."

Maximus stood before Sonya and smiled. "Mind if I give them an opening, so they don't feel like they're running straight at death herself?"

"Heh… why woul…" Not finishing her sentence she jumped back just out of range from the blade in her counter part's hand. "Crap, Maximus," she sneered. "Can't I fini-AH!" She jumped back again, this time her movement was more spastic forcing her into a crouched position on the ground. This had turned into the training she had done yesterday. She didn't have Oblivion Rapier near by so she couldn't summon her, and to risk taking a hit from Divine Steel was by far out of the question. "Damn…" she cursed to herself as she jumped, swayed, spun, and dodged each of his attacks.

She was now no longer facing the heirs. Her back was turned to Kaden and Kyria. Ryu could be seen out of the corner of her eye and Julia wasn't too far from him. Regardless, this was probably the best chance they had, and Maximus let them know that. "Anytime you want to join in…" His words were laced with a blatantly fake joviality.

Sonya's head perked up as she heard them rush to jump in around her. She jumped to the right, rolling on the sand, narrowly missing a hooked blade that missed the sole of her shoe by mere inches. _'Crap… Maximus is trying to overwhelming me so they can get in a hit.'_ Jumping to her feet, she fell into a defensive stance, glancing around. She had all of them in view, including Maximus. She wasn't going to be over powered that easily. Blade or no, she could take down the heirs without getting hurt by Maximus.

She took a second to analyze the situation. She was closest to Kaden, and he would probably be one of the easiest to take down.

She grunted as she flipped backwards away from another attack from Maximus. He wasn't going to give her the chance to _think_ anything through. He was just going to come at her. "So be it…" She sprinted at Kaden, only to be blocked off by Maximus.

"Not so fast," he held the blade out, the point resting right near her throat. "I'm not going to just let you gimp a weapon from one of them…"

"Maximus…" She let out a soft laugh. "You don't _have_ to let me do anything… just for me to actually do it." Then in the time it took to blink an eye she placed a hand on the blunt end of his sword and shoved it downward before twisting her body and throwing a kick at the light angel's abdomen.

The kick connected, though not at the force Sonya would have preferred. Regardless, she took the time to attack the heirs. At the current moment, Julia was nearest. Leaping at the girl, she threw out her fist looking to connect it with the blue haired girl's face. Luckily for Julia, she brought up her staff and managed to block the attack.

Sonya merely grinned as she dented the metal weapon. Were they being serious? Or was that a fluke? Julia wasted no time in moving the staff in her hands. She immediately swung out the right side, catching Sonya right in the elbow. The dark heiress flinched, but showed no other outward signs of pain.

She did, however, make some space between the two of them. Their movements were predictable and unpredictable at the same time. They react on instincts, but since their instincts haven't been trained, they're movements are spastic making them hard to judge. Her arm jutted upward, catching a kukri blade in the palm of her hand. "Mine," she said as her fingers wrapped around the weapon. Pulling the weapon forward, she forced a befuddled Ryu to stagger forward as well, only to greet him with hardness of her kneecap.

Trying to act quickly, she spun around as she fell to her knees. Throwing up the weapon holding hand, she moved to protect herself from the oncoming blade. Metal clashed as the large blade of Maximus' crashed down. She placed her free hand down in the sand to give her some type of support in this haphazard position, as she tried to ward off this blade that was about the size of her.

"Sonya, I thought you having a weapon made things unfair…"

"Don't be stupid, Maximus, though I know for you that may be hard. The weapon isn't to fight of them, its for _you._" Her eyes were narrowed as she fended off the five foot blade with a 13" dagger. Blood was trickling down the handle of the Kukri, dripping down her wrist and onto the sand. She was cut, but it was because she chose to get a weapon.

A shadow moved from her left. "Hell no," she mouthed as she dropped herself down further onto the sand. She threw up her free hand and caught the oncoming blade of Kaden. The metal cut into her flesh, giving her a matching cut on her other hand. She was in a bad position and she really needed to get rid of Maximus so she could get back on her feet.

"Sonya is on her back, and she has pants on," Maximus commented as he pressed down on the blade. "First time for everything." He grasped his blade with both hands, added more pressure to the cornered Sonya.

She scowled, and not thinking twice, she jerked Kaden's blade forward, jamming it into Maximus' side. Instinctively, he pulled away to heal himself giving Sonya the opportunity she was looking for. '_Perfect'_ Sonya leapt to her feet. She jumped into the air and spun, before thrusting the kukri forward into Kaden's throat, midair. "One," she commented as she ripped the blade from his neck.

Kaden dropped his knees, his hand fumbling around the wound in attempts to stop the flow of crimson liquid from his throat. A gasp sound from his side as Kyria took a few steps back from the group.

"Don't let your guard down," Sonya sneered as she leapt at Kyria. With shattering force, Sonya's fist connected with Kyria's face, tossing the heiress through the air.

"Kyria!" Ryu shouted as his head jerked towards her.

"Ryu!" Sonya mocked as she grabbed his head and snapped it back with break neck force.

Acting on instinct, Sonya threw up her hand, blocking the decent of the bladed staff from Julia. "Denied. I told you to _not_ do that." She grabbed the shaft of the staff and with both hand, and an unnatural amount of strength, she pulled the staff down in front of her, catapulting the thunder heiress over her head.

Swirled, violet eyes were wide as her body was lift into the air. "Whoaa!!!" trying the best she could, Julia twisted her body so that she wouldn't land on her head. Her body was thrown a good five feet and even after she hit the ground, she didn't stop moving. She eventually came to a skidding halt at the expense of her right knee and hands which were now all cut up down the texture of the sand. No sooner did she recover from this and lift her head was she rolling to the left, away from the descent of her own weapon.

Realizing quickly that being on the floor was about as dangerous as not moving at all, Julia jumped to her feet. Stumbling backwards she narrowly missed a slash across the chest from Death's mistress. Her mind worked in overdrive as she jumped and dodged each attack. She had to reverse this game of cat and mouse.

"Mine," Sonya said as she thrust the staff forward, the blade pointing at the center of Julia's chest.

The heiress tried to jump back, only to be impeded by a large palm tree. Sonya had trapped her. Her violet eyes were wide in horror. Sonya wasn't just strong, and powerful, she was analytical too. Julia soon realized she was never dodging Sonya's moves, she was being set up.

"Tsk," Sonya sounded as she pushed the blade in further. "Did you really think that you were _dodging my attacks?_" She scoffed. "I set you up like a board game and you fell right into place." She smirked. "Idiot. You moves are easy to see through; therefore you are just as easy to read."

Julia's eye lids were growing heavy. She wasn't sure if Sonya managed to pierce her heart, but she got something important. She was disappointed in herself. Arduously, Julia lifted her hands up and wrapped them around the shaft of the weapon.

"Still alive, ne?" Sonya said as she tilted her head, a sadistic grin etched on her face. "How sad," Sonya continued as she pulled the blade from the blue haired girl's chest. "I'll be sure to get your heart this time."

Julia tightened her grip on the staff before shoving it forward, the two point of the half moon blade piercing into the dark angel. Sonya winced, her eyes wide with shock. "You little bitch…" Her eyes were narrowed as she moved to remove the weapon lodged in her chest. "I'll Ki-"

"NO!" Julia cried out as a snap sound and a crack of lightening surrounding her hands. She didn't hesitate as she concentrated the energy into the metal weapon, which was the perfect median to Sonya's body.

"Argh!" Sonya's body shook from the initial shock applied to the muscles surrounding her heart. She practically ripped the staff from her chest as she threw it away from her. She placed her hands over her chest, over the newly acquired wounds. She was bleeding. From multiple places as well. Looking at her hands, she scowled. Her palms were swimming in blood.

Julia stood across from her, unarmed, breathing heavily. Her eyes were locked on Sonya. She could only expect the worst now. She watched as Sonya slowly lifted her head. Their eyes locked. Emerald eyes were dark, a hint of malice lacing them. The expression she wore was one of blood lust.

"I'm going to rip you limb from limb…" Sonya told her slowly as she walked towards her. "And make you beg for your pathetic life until your body can no longer stand the pain and you pass out. Heh…" A twisted smile crossed her face as she approached the heiress.

"Tidus, just lie down and play dead…" Sonya warned, stopping the Blitzer dead in his tracks. "It'll be easier on your body."

She wasted no time. No sooner had the words left her mouth was she upon Julia. She had a fistful of navy blue hair, and she was ready to maim the heiress. She grasped Julia's hand with her own, and slowly tightened her grip on it. She continued to do this until she could here the bone begin to crack.

Julia whimpered as tears clouded her eyes. Her hand was being crushed, by a hand that was smaller than her own. The pain was unbearable and it was causes her vision to go white. She probably would have passed out had the pressure not been relieved. Spiraled eyes layed upon a struggling light Angel desperately trying to subdue an angered demon with a lust for blood.

"Sonya, training is over… it's over." He repeated to her over and over again. "Go clean yourself up." He added as he struggled to calm her temper. "You can deal with them again tomorrow."

Sonya pushed off of Maximus as she took a step back. "Drop dead," she sneered as she stalked away from the group, leaving Maximus to heal the half dead group while she rushed to get cleaned up.

As she got to the airship, she pushed past everyone and made a Bee-line right for the bathroom. Blood had been dripping onto the floor as she moved. Her chest was bleeding and her hands were bleeding. She needed to fix this as fast as she possibly could. She slammed the bathroom door behind her, locking it in the process. Opening the closet to the left, she reached for the back of potions and elixirs she had scrounged up the previous night.

She wrinkled her nose, this stuff wreaked, but she needed something to keep her from bleeding to death. She opened the bottles and poured each of their contents into the tub until it was about half way full. Her lip twitched slightly as she undressed and stepped into the tub. She was disgusted to use a human made product to heal herself.

---_**xXx**_---

The morning light was beginning to filter in through the dark angel's window. Groaning in protest, Sonya rolled onto her side. She was hot. And she didn't know why. Placing a hand to her forehead she wiped away a thin layer of sweat. _'What the hell…'_ Scowling in displeasure she pulled at the blankets to bury her face in them. However as she pulled on the blanket, she met resistance. "Argh… What the hell…" she complained as she opened her eyes, only to meet a peacefully slumbering thunder heiress.

Her eyes widened considerably as she jolted up into a seated position. "What the HELL do you THINK you are doing?!" She screamed as she jerked the blankets out from under the heiress, causing her to tumble to the metallic floor.

Julia spastically squirmed on the floor as she scrambled to her feet. She looked around, disoriented. She didn't know where she was, nor what was going on. Confusion was wrought in her expression until her swirled violet eyes fell on Sonya. Her heart constricted, and her breathing became shallow. "Machina!" she cried out as she watched Sonya rolled out of her bed.

"I don't know what kind of mental defect you have," she sneered as she approached the heiress. "But I'm going to beat the sense of respect for one's privacy into you." She cracked her knuckles before she clenched her hand into a fist. "It'll be a good lesson to learn… if you survive that is…"

Wide eyed, Julia let out an ear piercing scream as she fled from the room, Sonya is hot pursuit. "Oh, Machina, Sonya, I'm sorry… I sleep wal-AH!!" She stumbled to the left as a glass vase shattered on the wall to her right.

"The time for excuses was before, now… I'm just going to hurt you…"

Julia skidded around a corner and dodged into a random room. Not paying attention to any of its occupants she dove behind a bed. She knew she couldn't outrun her, outfight her, hell she couldn't outsmart her either, but she didn't really want to die yet.

It didn't take long for Sonya to barge into the room after her. "Julia," Sonya's singsong voice reverberated through the room. "Where are you…"

"She's not here, Sonya."

"Maximus, don't treat me like I'm an idiot. I _saw_ her come in here. Now, just do me a favor and _stay out_ of my way."

Her acidic words sent chills throughout Julia's body. She was dead. That was it. She slept walked right into Sonya's room and in essence she signed her own death wish.

Sonya scanned the room. Her eyes locked on the bed. She was willing to bet anything, she was behind there. In the time it took to blink, Sonya has crossed the room and was on the bed. "Mine!" she threw out her hand, ready to grab a fistful of blue hair, but Maximus was ready for her.

No sooner had the world left her mouth, did he tackle her and push her up against the wall. "Run, Julia… I can't only hold her back for so long. And Hell knows no fury like Sonya's scorn."

"Maximus," she struggled to get him off. "Get the _fuck_ off of me… NOW!!" She swung out her hand, hitting Maximus across the face with her fist.

"Damn it, Sonya," he winced, refusing to loosen his grip on her. "You can not, I repeat, you can NOT kill the heirs." He grabbed a hold of her free arm and pinned them over her head. "Calm down."

"Don't tell me to calm down!" She defiantly cried. "You didn't wake up with your face three inches away from some blue haired whore."

Maximus blinked a few times. "You didn't wake up from the unnatural presence?" He looked at her strangely. There was something off. As he looked at her face, his silver eyes found caught a slight presence of scarring on the palm of her hand. "What the…"

Something was off. Sonya had been acting strange. She'd been avoiding the group more than normal, especially Maximus. His eyes scanned over her warily, ignoring her frantic moves. She seemed more timid, if that was possible. Then on top of that, the bathroom reeked of potions last night after Sonya came back.

"Sonya… why do you have this scar?" He didn't wait for a response as a light went off in his head. Grabbing her tightly, he threw her down onto the bed. He placed a knee on her back to hold her in place. Sonya screamed out a stream of curses as she desperately tried to break free. He grabbed onto her arm, if he was right, she'd have a cut on her other hand from where she stopped Kaden's descending blade He was right.. "Sonya… what the hell is this?"

"It's nothing," she lied as she struggled under his weight. "Get off of me, Maximus. And I mean now, cause if you don't… I'm going to make so that not even Dios can identify you when I'm through…"

"No, Sonya," his voice was flat, almost annoyed. "Tell me what happened back with Dios? Why is this" He motioned to her arm "Happening!? You _never_ even bruise… never mind _scar_"

"None of you freakin' business," she hissed as she jammed her elbow into his rib was enough force to knock him off. Reacting quickly, she rolled off the bed and sprinted towards the door. She bounded down the hall, Maximus not far behind.

"Sonya, damn it. Do _not_ force me to attack you…" he threatened as he ran after her.

"You wouldn't dare," she challenged as she skidded to a stop before her room. They were in the airship; he wouldn't be so reckless as to attack her. Though even if that was the case, she couldn't exactly avoid in the airship… but if she left the airship, she'd lose the protection. She glowered at him. He knew he had the advantage; the smug grin on his face gave that away. She stood, frozen in place. She needed to have her weapons, a weapon… anything. She couldn't fight on par with him with magic, but she could hold on own if she had the twins or even Oblivion Rapier.

"Sonya… come on," Maximus said as he took a step forward. "Just tell me…"

Sonya was ready to make a break for her room when lady luck seemed to grace them with her presence.

"Whoa, the tension is so thick you could slice it with a knife…"

Emerald and silver eyes darted towards the unsuspecting heir that stumbled into the hallway. Kaden stood, closer to Sonya, glancing between the two of them, a naïve grin spread across his face. He had no idea what he just walked into.

"Kaden run!" Maximus shouted, but to no avail.

Sonya seized the opportunity before Kaden could warrant his warning. "Mine!" She grabbed the heir, slipping her arm around his neck. "Come any close, Maximus dear, and I'll snap his precious little neck," she cooed.

The angel of light froze. He knew she could, and she would if she felt threatened in the least. "Sonya… don't do anything foolish…" He didn't move. He didn't want to risk Kaden's life. If Kaden got killed he would have to stop and heal the idiot before he could chase after Sonya. _'Idiot… always in the wrong place at the wrong time.'_

"Don't follow me, Maximus…" She moved slowly towards her room, kicking open the door before she stepped over the threshold. A sadistic grin came to her face as she neared the center of her room. She was so close to her weapons, it didn't matter what Maximus did. She glanced over her shoulder, Oblivion Rapier was closest. It was resting right besides her bed while the twins were positioned on her dresser which was on the far wall.

Brown hair peeked into view followed by a pair of silver eyes. "Sonya… this is ludicrous. Release, Kaden…" He stepped fully into view, debating whether or not he should take that one final step into the room.

She tilted her head and grinned. "Release him?" Her eyes sparkled with devious intent. "If you wish." Grabbing the heir with both her hands she flung him straight at Maximus. Not wasting any time she spun to her left and dove at her bed. Grabbing the hilt of the blade, she jumped up into the air and at the bed. She placed a hand in the center as she catapulted over the bed. Landing gracefully on her feet she twirled her blade before she pointed it at Maximus.

The brunette angel had just managed to push the orange haired Kilikan into the hall away from danger, or about as far from danger as possible. When he finally refocused his attention on the petite savage across the room, she was standing there, eyes narrowed, with an unfriendly looking black blade pointing in his direction. "So… we have to do things the hard way?" A sigh escaped his lips. "You can never just explain things… You always have to threaten me with blades, guns, and _flying heirs_. But, if this is how it has to go…" He held out his hand, palm facing the floor and in moments a long silver blade materialized. "So be it."

"Heh," She licked her lower lip. Her heart was racing, though her ultimate goal was to escape, she always enjoyed a nice match, even if she was going to make this short. Jumping up onto the bed she lunged at him, swinging Oblivion Rapier towards the light angel.

Maximus threw up his blade as a mean to defend from the oncoming attack. Though the attack didn't hit, the force sent him skidding backwards into the hallway, until his back pressed up against the wall. "Yare, yare, Sonya dear, you should know as well as I do that coming straight at me isn't going to work." Mustering up some strength he pushed her back, trying to over power the small angel.

"Wow, Maximus, after seven thousand year your stupidity _still_ amazes me." Spinning towards the right she removed the resistance from Maximus' blade, forcing him to dip forward. Taking advantage of the momentary lapse in his stance she slammed the hilt of blade into the side of his head. His head snapped to the side, but he didn't even have time to react because before he could even mutter a single syllable, Sonya had grabbed him by the hair and slammed him face first into the metallic wall. Not waiting to see the effect the impact between Maximus' face and the wall had on her counterpart she jumped over him, heading towards the exit as fast as her legs would carry her.

She didn't turn around, didn't even look over her shoulder. Her mind was set and she needed to get as far as she could without stumbling cause she knew, soon enough, Maximus would be after her again. And almost as if on queue with her thoughts, the holy aura's strength increased. She skidded to a stop as she turned, yielding her sword.

Metal clashed as the opposing blades met. The strength from a flying Maximus forced Sonya back. Her knees buckled under the pressure from as she struggled to push him back. With her back against the wall, literally, Sonya was pressed for time. Her mind raced. He was being serious about this, and she needed to find a way to break out of here.

However, she never got that chance. Maximus managed to knock Oblivion Rapier out of her hands to the floor next to them.

Not thinking twice, Sonya lunged for the discarded blade, Maximus quickly following after her. Her tried his best to pin her to the ground, but this was proving difficult. Sonya's physical strength rivaled his own, maybe even surpassed it, however, he had the advantage of being able to use his body weight. Growing frustrated by the minute, Maximus gave up trying to subdue her first. Grabbing the bottom of her shirt, he yanked it up checking for a scar that would be there for yesterdays spar.

"_Maximus_!!" She shrieked as she swung out her fist and knocked him in the head.

Reeling back, Maximus placed a hand to his head and scrambled away from the angered angel. "What aren't you telling me, Sonya?"

"Nothing," she hissed as she jumped to her feet, picking up Oblivion Rapier. She turned away from him, her eyes fell down cast. _'Even if he plays at not knowing.. He knows…'_

"Why aren't you just using your…" the words died on his lips as a sudden realization swept over him. "Sonya… Did you lose…"

He didn't even get to finish that sentence before Sonya was on him. He was pinned against the wall, a black blade pressed to his throat. "Don't think because I lost my powers that I still can't chop you up into small pieces."

His eyes locked with hers. He could only imagine what kind of strain this was putting on her, as well as the incomplete feeling that must have washed over her. "Of course not, Sonya… I already know that." The words were sincere, no hint of malice nor sarcasm. He pitied her at that moment, because in a sick way of thinking, she was really nothing more than a talented human.


	18. Growing Tensions

Author's Note: Alright, It took one hell of a time to get me to update, ne? Well I have been ridiculously busy, so I sincerely apologize. I have been trying to write. I even bought a huge binder to print my story out and put it in :D Yay! So here's a little warning, was this proof read? Nope. Sorry, unless you want it.. two weeks from now, lol. At any rate, its relatively boring... Character development, or an attempt to... lol. Enjoy

xxx

**Growing Tensions**

Narrowing her eyes, she gruffly removed the blade from Maximus' neck

Narrowing her eyes, Sonya gruffly removed the blade from Maximus' neck. A scowl etched itself on her lips before she turned away from him. She barely took five steps before Maximus' soft voice called out to her. "Sonya…" she stopped mid-step. Emerald eyes peered ahead, refusing to turn towards her counter-part.

Taking her silent halt in exit as permission to speak, he continued, "Why wouldn't you tell me?" He took a cautious step forward. "I can understand the heirs… but me?"

Throwing her head back, she scoffed. "And _why_ would I tell you anything," she sardonically remarked. She lifted her arm, resting the blunt end of her blade on her right shoulder. Then stealing a look over her other shoulder, she continued, "It's not like I need your help… _nothing_ has changed," she hissed.

"But it has," he immediately replied. "More than you may think." He maneuvered before her, to impede her departure in case she decided she no longer wished to speak. "What if we had to depend on your magic?... Your wings… Can you _even use_ your wings?" He frowned as she rolled her eyes. "Sonya," he gently took hold of her left wrist and lifted her hand. "Look at your scars and bruises." Silver eyes locked with Emerald. "And this is _just _from sparring. What if you had been seriously injured? You can't even heal yourself… No one can! Your magical composition leaves you in a horrid disposition if you get hurt."

Her expression was pensive for a moment before her normal scowl took its place. "Seriously injured? Maximus," she sneered. "One time. That's all you have on me. _Nothing _is going to seriously harm me. And to even entertain the idea is not only _pointless _but stupid." Roughly shoving her way past her benevolent friend, she finished addressing him. "So spare me the false concerns and never speak of this in my presence again."

"As you wish," he complied dejectedly his silver eye watching her retreat. He sighed. '_Seven thousand years and she still refuses to distribute her burden to others…'_ He was frustrated with himself, but it's not like he could force her to care, hell he could barely keep her from killing the heirs.

The sound of metal bashing metal jerked him out of his pensive state as the 'harmonic' sounds of Sonya's voice reached his ears. _'She's strong, but even the strongest of stones can wither and break.'_

--xXx--

It didn't take long for the heirs to assemble outside, though it rarely did. They knew better than to be late for a training session with Sonya. Weapons were already drawn, and as ready as any one could be for training with the dark princess. Six pairs of eyes focused on the light skinned angel, their minds racing around what kind of physical abuse would be inflicted upon them today.

Sonya stood before the group. She was once again weaponless, but as previously shown that didn't mean much of anything and provided next to no comfort. She could have her legs bound, an arm missing, and be blindfolded and even then it still wouldn't be a comforting sight. Now, if standing before the mistress of despair didn't create enough tension on its own, the heavy silence that hung heavy made things worse.

It was silent for a good twenty minutes, only to be broken by the meek voice of Rikku. "Sonya, are we going to get started?" the unsure voice questioned taking a breath of air before continuing, "Gippy still needs help with the airship…" She shifted her weight awkwardly from one leg to the other, as she waited for a response.

Sonya's eyes scanned the group, pausing at each individual before her. "Fine," was her single syllable answer. "I asked Rikku to join us today because I decided to try something new _again_…" She pivoted on her left foot and started to pace as she spoke, "Since I am way above your level I decided to not aggravate myself by smacking you around. Instead, you'll fight each other." She glared at Kaden before continuing, "and I assume a repeat of Maximus' training will not occur." The fire god merely rolled his eyes at the reference to his magical mishap, warranting a smack in the face with a conch shell. A smirk crossed Sonya's pale features as Kaden cried out when nature met his face. "Now, if you all suck today, I give up and _I'm _destroying humanity."

"No pressure!' the sardonic, jovial voice of Maximus chimed in. "Only the fate of Spira rest on this training session." The light angel was seated on the top of some machine ruins. He waved his left hand at the group below him. "You can begin now, I'm here, in case Kaden decides to try cremate the living again."

"it was _one _time," he complained, his tanned arms crossed over his clothe covered chest. Kaden's brown eyes went to look away, but at the last minute decided that staying focused on Sonya might be a better idea considering the incident that had happened barely five minutes ago. "Can we just get started? I have better things to do that sit here and waste time with the lot of you…"

"Better things to do?" Sonya quirked an eyebrow, crossing her arms over her chest as she sent the fire god an incredulous look. "I'm _wasting_ my time to train you. To save _your world._ But YOU have better things to do?" She stole a glance at Maximus who had a grin playing on his face. "As far as I'm concerned you have _nothing_ to do… _ever._ If I wanted to train in the _middle of the night_ you will be damn sure you are up, ready to fight, and god damn skippy about it too." She took a few steps around the semi-circle the heirs had formed, glancing at each of them as she spoke, "That goes for _all of you._ As far as I am concerned. _This. Is. Your. Life_." Making a full circle, she stopped where she began and stated, "Am I clear?"

The heirs muttered something Sonya took as compliance to her statement. "Good." Sonya grew quiet for a brief moment as her emerald eyes glanced around the group of heirs around her. She wore a pensive expression for a few moments before talking again. "Princess, you are paired with the air headed wind god." She nonchalantly commented to Rikku. "Hmm…" judging eyes shot between the remained four heirs. "Icy failure, you match up with wet blanket and thunder whore, you can go with flaming retard."

Sonya smiled to herself as the heirs grumbled amongst themselves, obviously displeased with the nicknames the dark angel deemed fitting for each of them. When they were all paired off Sonya addressed them again, "Now Maximus is here to heal you, so I want you to fight like your fighting for your life." She paused briefly sending a warning glance to everyone there, "Cause if you don't. You will be."

The dark angel watched as they awkwardly started. She groaned. It was impossible to get them to fight. They wouldn't attack her because that was like attacking death itself, and they wouldn't attack each other for fear of hurting one another. _'Useless…' _Since was about to give them a few words of encouragement when Maximus stepped in.

"In the case that you all didn't notice, that murderous intent is _not_ your imagination," his friendly words of warning floated to the ears of the heirs. "It is coming from the embodiment of sadism herself. So a little bit of friendly advice, I suggest you get going." His friendly, upbeat voice became serious as he finished up with, "And I mean…_Now."_

Gotcha, Maxy!" Rikku grabbed as she slipped her finger down towards her daggers. Unhooking the two weapons, she pulled them upward, twirling them around twice before getting a firm grasp on the handles. The blond Al Bhed has never been on the receiving end of Sonya's anger and she would prefer to keep it that way. Though she was against physically hurting the heirs, if it meant not dying herself, she'd have to make the exception. "Alrighty, Ryu! Here I come!" With those chipper words spoken, the ex-guardian jumped into action, starting a chain of action amongst the others.

xXx

Sonya's arms were crossed as she paced around, her eyes scrutinizing the formations and movements of the heirs. She was sure to study each one's actions down to a point. She paused on her first pairing of Kyria and Tidus. They were evenly matched for the most part, as far as Sonya could tell. They were agile, trained with weapons, and somewhat promising… for humans at least.

Kyria currently had her fans closed and crossed forming an X that was holding off a downward attack from the blond water god. Her right foot was behind her and her leg was slightly bent at the knee. Using this position to her advantage, she pushed up off the ground using her legs as the driving force to push Tidus back. Smoothly slipping into her next move, Kyria continued the motion and uncrossed her weapons over her head before she brought her right arm down making a quick slashing motion towards the water god's abdomen. The attack managed to cut through Tidus' shirt, and only just missed his skin because the water god had stumbled back a bit before he regained his footing.

As the sharp edged fan swept past him, Tidus used the pommel of his blade to attack the heiress. Slamming it down on her shoulder, he forced her to lurch forward, throwing her off balance. Wasting next to no time, Tidus crouched down, and in a quick sweeping motion, he knocked Kyria's feet out from under her, making her hit the sand face first. Grabbing his sword that was now lying next to him on the sand, he pivoted on one foot and made a downward thrust towards the ice heiress only to meet sand. Cerulean eyes followed the path; the petite brunette had rolled in, only to have the privilege of sand being thrown into his eyes.

"Argh…" he cried out as he dropped her weapon, fell to his knees and desperately tried to swipe the sand out his eyes. This action left his wide open for the swift kick Kyria had ready for him. Tumbling backwards into the sand, Tidus tried his best to use the momentum to roll over and get back to his feet. By the time he was standing and able to open one eye, he had barely enough time to miss the stab for his jugular. Now just reacting instinctively, Tidus ducked, jumped, and turned to avoid the sharp end of the ice goddess' weapons.

Kyria however had no intentions of letting up. She attacked him relentlessly. Thrust. Slash. Jab. Switch hands. Repeat. She'd fallen into a pattern and it did not go unnoticed by the water god. Being weaponless he was searching desperately for way out of harm's way and that's when he noticed the pattern Kyria had fallen into. Hoping his instincts were correct, when she would thrust, he'd be able to get out of her way. Sure enough, after a quick jab she thrust her right fan forward. Instead of turning to the side like he had been, Tidus caught her wrist and threw it upward, much like he'd done to Sonya previous to knowing her true identity.

With the ice heiress in hand, Tidus bent his knees slightly and dropped to the floor, rolling on his back. Tossing his foot up as Kyria began to fall as well, Tidus managed to catch her mid-descent and catapult her over his body.

Sonya nodded as she watched the body of Kyria fly like a rag doll past her line of view. Turning her head to the left, she focused her attention elsewhere. Rikku was currently dominating Ryu. Her swift moves were running circles around the wind god. Both of the duel wielders were sweating, though only Ryu was bleeding. Throughout his body he'd managed to get a few cuts and potential bruises. While nothing seemed life threatening, they were certainly taking their toll on the stamina of the heir. He was losing his momentum. From the beginning his stamina had paled in comparison to the Al Bhed and his recover time was at least twice that of Rikku's. However, that could be partly because his movements were wide, they were wasteful. The required excess energy that he should be storing so that he would last longer in battle. Sonya scowled. Although, she'd never vocalize it, Rikku was good for something. At the very least she was going to teach the wind heir to be more disciplined in his fighting.

Sonya was mildly enjoying observing the heirs fight one another. While she would much rather take part in slicing them up, watching them spar one another gave her an idea of their strengths and their weaknesses. It was something she could use against them next time they trained. With a twisted smile on her face, she turned towards the last pair. Julia and Kaden.

What she saw actually caused a look of amusement to briefly pass over the features of the demonic angel. Julia was viciously attacking the fire heir who had _no time_ to defend himself. Julia would strike high with the right side of her staff, Kaden would block and then she'd swiftly hit him low with the left side. She continued this pattern the entire time, switching hands every so often. It became so obvious that even Maximus gave up trying to heal Kaden and moved onto Ryu who was the next worst in shape.

Left. Right. Right. Left. Pull up. Stab. Julia was in a rut, not that Sonya ever expected Kaden to take notice and although she was _never_ admit it. She was slightly pleased to see that they weren't all entirely unskilled. At the very least, they did know how to fight, even if they weren't exactly good. Or at least everyone save for Kaden.

Nodding to herself she decided that she'd had enough watching. Snatching Tidus' blade from his hand, Sonya rushed at Kaden so fast Julia hardly noticed at first that she'd attacked Sonya rather than the fire heir who was now sprawled out seven feet to the side. Julia's spiraled eyes widened as they locked with the malicious emerald one's belonging to the dark Angel. "I suggest you still come at me like you were Kaden." Sonya's voice was flat and left no room for argument. The only thing the Thunder goddess could do was nod her head and continue.

Sonya remained on the 'defensive'; however, she didn't let a single hit get through. Though at the very least, Sonya could tell Julia was making an effort. "Step it up, Julia," Sonya remarked curtly. "Or I will stab you… right in the face."

"Uh. Ok." Was the reply the Al Bhed gave her as she decided she'd try something new. Turning her staff so that it was perpendicular to her body, she pointed the sharp half moon blade pointing towards Sonya. Thrusting forward, she caught the blade Sonya was using and directed it to the side so that Sonya would be open for an attack. Getting the sword a safe distance to the side, Julia stabbed the pointed side of her staff at Sonya. The dark Angel twisted her body, narrowly avoiding the blow aimed for the center of her chest.

"Stop going for her heart, Julia! She doesn't have one!" Maximus was cheering from the sidelines. A bright smile adorned his face as he continued, "Go for her face! Get her right in that evil spawning mouth!"

Sonya growled. She knew Maximus was trying to get her to lose her focus, and at the same time encourage the heiress, but along with that he was pissing her off. "Shove it, Maximus! Don't make me knock your teeth down your throat!" she threatened through a clenched jaw as she held Tidus' blade vertically blocking the staff once again.

"Ah! Julia! You're not acting fast enough," Maximus cried out, flailing slightly. "her mouth is still spewing evil nonsense! Quick! Smite it!"

Julia was having trouble not laughing. Maximus' sarcastic demeanor was not only distracting Sonya but her as well. Not to mention it was annoying Sonya, and the more annoyed she got the more precise and aggressive she got when he blocks and counters.

"Maximus!"

"Smite!!" he screamed, cutting off Sonya tirade.

"That's it!" Sonya grabbed Julia's staff with one hand and shoved the heiress aside. "Maximus," she hissed. "Apparently you've forgotten that pissing me off is a really bad idea. So maybe you'll remember why while I rip your intestines out through your eye sockets." Tidus' blade was clutched tightly in her hand as she stalked up the beach.

"Oh no! Failed Mission. Abort! Abort!" Smiling brightly, he jogged backwards. "Retreat!" was the last word he said before disappearing in a flash of light, leaving the dark angel hissing at the light.

"Argh!" The dark angel despaired as she threw up her hands to shield her light sensitive eyes. Frustrated, Sonya threw Tidus' blade into the sand and glared at the group before them. "Huddle. **Now.**." Her harsh voice ripped through the air, commanding respect.

Almost immediately the six Spirans surrounded her. Arduously breathing with sweat dripping from their foreheads, they stood half bent trying to calm their rapidly beating hearts. Sonya looked around, a frown etching its way back onto her face. "Well I won't destroy Spira…" she started out, her compliment however, was guarded with a glare that dared anyone to smile."However, much work is still left to be done." She turned her gaze to the petite blond Al Bhed. "Rikku, I want you to train Ryu. You're a dual wielder, so is he. Or at least he pretends he is."

"As for the rest of you, I am willing to admit that at the very least you can hold up against one another…" she rolled her eyes as a sigh escaped her lips. "that that hat really proves much of anything." Her words were harsh, she wanted to make it perfectly clear that she was in now was complimenting them on a 'job well done'. "You still suck…specifically Ryu who can't even hold his own weapon correctly." She mocked him, not bothering to even glance in his direction.

An aggravated sigh resounded from the vicinity of the wind god, causing all eyes except Sonya's to fall on him. "I am so _sick_of you acting like we're all supposed to be experienced fighters." His words were laced thick with animosity towards the dark angel. It weighed so heavy in his words that it threw and over cast of silence throughout the group of Spirans. "I _never_ trained to be a warrior," he continued, his voice growing more confident as he went. "I can kill a few fiends. _That's_ what I have these for," he motioned to the eight weapons strategically placed around his waist. "they weren't bought so I could save the world. So _stop_ treating me like crap. From what I _was_ I have improved immensely." His voice strained, he was angry.

Sonya glanced at him briefly, an apathetic trim to her gaze, before she turned her attention back towards the rest of the group. "You are all dismissed," she spoke calmly; her words as soft and smooth as the heirs had ever heard. She completely ignored the wind heir and left no time for him to make another scene and she began her exit up the sand dunes of Besaid.

Ryu was seething. His fists were clenched so tightly at his sides that his knuckles began to turn a whitish color. His blue eyes became almost ice like as he glared at the back of the dark entity. "She… completely blew me off…" the wind heir growled through a locked jaw.

In a friendly gesture, Kyria placed her hand on Ryu's upper arm. "Forget it, Ryu…" she cooed, trying to calm the irate god. "it's Sonya; you shouldn't expect anything more…" Cerulean eyes peered up at the hardened expression worn on Ryu's face. She bit her lower lip, her pleads were falling on deaf ears. "Ryu…" she begged for his attention. "Be glad she didn't hurt you this time… we can't constantly have one of us bed ridden for an entire day."

"No." he said, cutting her off and causing her to stand tall. "I want a response from her," he firmly stated before chasing after Sonya, ignoring the protests from Kyria. Ryu jogged to the best of his ability up the sandy floor after Sonya. It didn't take him too much time to catch up to her. "just… because you're an 'Angel' doesn't give you the right to _ignore_ me and treat me the way you do…"

"Actually, it does," she corrected him, not breaking her stride. Her voice was relatively calm, an odd factor for Sonya. Maybe she'd mildly mellowed out since her skirmish with Maximus that morning? Though, she has been kind of off since she'd gotten back from Dios' realm. "In fact, it pretty much justifies everything I do…"

Rolling his eyes and practically jogging to keep up with the dark Angel he continued, "There goes that 'greater than thou' attitude again," Ryu sneered as he tried to keep pace with her. "and I can speak for everyone when I say it's getting old. Could you for once acknowledge that we're more than a worthless heap of flesh?" His words grew stronger until he was practically shouting at the dark Angel. Taking a few lunging steps, he jumped before her and place his hands on her shoulders, a move that impeded her precession and would most likely cost Ryu his life.

The dark Angel ceased walking, her emerald eyes narrowed into a glare that clearly read death was imminent. "Remove yourself from me, human." She warned her calm voice replaced with an extremely threatening tone. "or I will remove your _head_." Ryu removed his hands, but didn't move from her path. He wasn't going to let her by. He wanted acknowledgement, he wanted her to see things from his point of view.

Sonya crossed her arms over her abdomen, each hand gingerly wrapping around the opposing elbow. "More than worthless heaps of flesh, ne?" she spoke, her voice once again turning calm. She quirked an eyebrow as she waited for some kind of response from the wind heir. When he nodded, she once again began to speak. "I do," she answered flatly, almost knocking the wind heir off his feet from pure shock. "I see you as the biggest disappointment to ever cross the line of humanity to deity."

Then without allowing Ryu to register the words in his head, she already shoved past him, continuing her departure from the beach. "Eos is probably rolling over in the distant plane."

"Wait!" Ryu shouted as he threw out his arm, grabbing the closest part of Sonya. With her arm in hand, he rapidly spoke hoping to get his point across before getting his head removed. "Why the _hell_ do you hate me so much?" He'd been picking up on the pattern. Sonya may hate everyone, but she focused a lot of her animosity on him.

"I hate humanity," she said shaking free of his grasp. "And _you_ happen to be pushing me to the point of wanting to maim you… _again_. So go die somewhere else before _I_ kill you."

"Damn it! No!" he screamed, grabbing for her again, however this time he was too slow and the part of Sonya he grabbed onto was a delicately made piece of jewelry that was on her wrist. The beautifully crafted bracelet snapped under the sudden force applied.

Time practically stopped as a pair of emerald eyes snapped around wide eyes at the descending broken bracelet. Ryu didn't have to be told he did something wrong, he know. Immediately he dropped to the floor, frantically picking up the piece from the sand below. "I am so... soo sorry." He apologized. "I didn't mean to." He continued as he held the bracelet up to the dark angel, looking up at her face immediately wishing he hadn't.

Her eyes were wide with murderous intent. Snatching the bracelet from his hand, she roughly shoved the broken piece of jewelry into her pocket. Her hand balled into a fist as the pleads from Ryu met her ears. Any restraints holding her back before were gone, replaced by blind rage. Finally cracking, she slammed her fist into the side of Ryu's face, sending him sprawling to the left. "I am going to kill you, Ryu…" she hissed, her words laced with venom, as a cold feeling of death poured forth from her. 'With my bare hands." She held up her two hands before him, waving at him, mocking the position he was in. "and I will enjoy it. Every second of it. And trust me when I say… when I am done, Maximus will **not** be able to bring you back."

Ryu's head was spinning. His vision blurred. He was totally and completely disorientated. The blow from Sonya was worse than he'd ever experience there was so much pure animosity and hate packed into her small fist. He wasn't even able to see straight again before he was lifted up by the front of his shift and hurtled into a solid rock wall five feet to his left. This attack forced his head to smash into the rock wall, a rock slicing open his forehead before his body tumbled to the floor.

At this point he was sure that his shoulder had been broken, and that possible a few fractures in his rib cage. He wanted to shout out, but his cries choked in his throat as he found he was having difficulty breathing. The only thing he could do was watch in horror as ran towards him. He only kept his eyes open long enough to watch her set up for a drop kick, right for his chest. He couldn't bare to watch anymore, at this rate, this move would snap his ribs and possible puncture his heart, or lungs. Either way he was looking at a one way ticket to the Far Plane and the only thing he'd done was break her bracelet. Closing his eyes, he readied himself for the pain he was about to have inflicted on him.

However, the pain never came. He never felt the crushing force of Sonya's boot make the devastating connection he was preparing for, instead he heard a slew of curses come her mouth from a small distance away. Carefully, the wind heir opened an eye, peering out to see what had happened. About twenty feet up in the air, Maximus floated, beautiful silky white wings undulating simultaneously. In his arms he struggled to hold tightly onto the irate angel.

"Yare, yare," he started with much difficultly, "The cold feeling of _death_ washed over me and then I realized one of the heirs was still missing." He struggled to hold Sonya still, not only to keep her from Ryu, but so not to drop her. She was angry as is, she didn't need anymore of a reason to be. "You need to hide your emotions better, dearest; I think you just put several different fiends into extinction merely by the malicious aura you just gave off."

"Maximus," she sneered as she squirmed her body about. She didn't care if he dropped her; she could land it gracefully without injuring herself. The problem was getting him to actually drop her. "Unless you want me to slice open your abdomen and feed you your own intestines… I suggest you drop me immediately."

"Mm, Bloody entrails… Sounds delicious," he said with joviality to his voice, only further angering the petite angel in his arms. His happy demeanor only lasted so long before a shot to the groin forced him to take a more harsh tone. Fighting the urge to _throw_ the dark angel at the floor, he contorted his face in pain, biting his lip until the pain subsided. "_Sonya__…_I need you to calm down. I'm not going to keep telling you that you absolutely _can not_ kill the heirs." He snaked an arm around the back her neck, grabbed her by the back of the head and forced her head down. "_Look at him_." His tone was harsh, he'd lost his patience. "He's practically _dead_. And for what Sonya? What in all of Spira could be so great a matter than you needed to _maim_ Ryu, with the intentions to kill him?!"

Sonya struggled, moving her arm down into her pocket. She strained her fingers to reach out for the small object in her pocket. Her middle ring brushed it, barely even getting a feel for the object. Growing frustrated by the position she was in she jerked her head back, smacking the angel of light square in the chest. Instinctively, his grip on her loosened as her arched his back. As her body began to descend, she quickly shoved her hand in her pocket, grasping the object in her pocket. She threw up her right hand, to show the broken memento to her counterpart.

As she did this, Maximus reached out and grabbed her wrist, keeping her from crashing in to the ground. "What has gotten into you, Son--" his anger words died on his lips as his silver eyes locked on the bracelet that dangled in Sonya's hand. "Is that the bracelet you got before he di…" He stopped talking when she violently nodded her head. "… And that idiot… broke it?" She nodded again. "Ah…" A sense of understanding washed over him as he lowered her towards the ground. He couldn't blame her reaction, nor would he try. She was justified to a certain extent. He kept a firm grip on her wrist, so that she couldn't just run and go right back to mauling the defenseless heir. "Sonya, please go back to the airship… We can take the bracelet to get fixed later."

Jerking her hand free, Sonya shoved the bracelet back into her pocket. "Whatever," she scowled as she turned her back to the two men and stalked off. "Tell Ryu when he gains consciousness that if he _ever_ comes near me again… I'll chop his arms off so the temptation to touch me or my stuff never even rises." Then with those _friendly_ words of warning spoken, she stalked off towards the airship.

Maximus shook his head in disdain as he placed his hands over the wind heir's forehead. Slowly the concentration of healing magic diffused from Maximus into the unfortunate boy's head. The angel of light sighed as he watched the wounds close and the blood cease its outward flow. _'He had no idea what he did… but he sure did pay for it…'_ Summoning a weak water spell, he doused the wind heir in water to clean up the blood. _'And of all the heirs that would do it… it would be you…the wind god…' _Lifting his unconscious body into his arms he shook his head. "If Sonya didn't like you already… she hates you even more… this isn't going to be much of a pleasant lifetime for you," he told the unconscious body dejectedly. "You just hit a cord of her past that she likes to leave at just that… the past."

--xXx--

It took the entire day for Ryu to return to normal. Sonya had done some number of his body and the mixture of physical and mental training they had been doing, he was worn down. Luckily for him, he was kept far away from Sonya and taken well cared for by Yuna and Kyria.

"I told you to stop pushing Sonya," the reasonable voice of Kyria echoed through the titanium room. She moved towards the bed, her baggy sweat pants dragging along the floor as she carried a tray of food over towards his bed. "She was eventually going to push back…and you know she pushes hard." Lifting one leg up she half sat on the bed while she placed the tray on the small table, turning her head in his direction she quirked an eyebrow, "So have you learned your lesson now?"

Ryu frowned at the small girl sitting on his bed. While he appreciated her concern and the fact that she was taking care of him, he couldn't stand to be lectured on that demon they called Sonya. "I accidentally broke her bracelet, that's why she mauled me," he told her a hint of resentment in his voice. His tone lowered, "that materialistic bitch…"

"Ryu… maybe the bracelet was special to her," Kyria tried to reason with him. It would seem to be the only logical reason for her reacting so suddenly and violently. And even if it wasn't Ryu should be glad he isn't dead rather than griping about the past.

"No!" the dirty blond snapped. "Don't try to lay that crap on me. You know as well as I do that that is _not_ what happened." He shook his head and glared at the wall opposite Kyria, his temper getting the better of him. His arms were crossed over his chest as it rose up and down steadily from his breathing. "It was just _another_ excuse to hurt me. Not that she _needed_ it, she would hurt me without reason, this just made her look not quite as psychotic." With a roll of his eyes and a clicking of his tongue, he added in, "Besides, she hates me the most. I think that sums up all the reasons why she mauled me."

Kyria sighed, shaking her head. Ryu was nice enough, and friendly to everyone, but once he set his mind on something, there was no convincing him otherwise and right now he was ranting on Sonya's intolerance of him and there would be nothing she could do to change it. She found it frustrating that she couldn't get his mind off of it, but there was nothing she could do, especially not at that moment. So shrugging it off, she stood up from the bed. "I'll let you rest up," she said flatly as she moved towards the door. "Your food is on the table, I'll be back to check up on you later." Then with a feeble smile she gave a half wave and walked through the door, leaving Ryu to mull over the events that had happened the previous day.

The titanium door shut with a gentle _swish_ as she stepped into the hall. It was currently empty, and there was no sound coming from any direction, though that was to be expected it was still relatively early. They had been given the day off from training and everyone took advantage of the time to sleep in. The ice heiress' lips twitched up into a small smile as soaked up the tranquil setting, knowing all too well it would shatter in a few hours.

Blue eyes looked left and then turned to the right. It was briefly contemplated which was to go before the small brunette decided to head towards the left. She would kill some time in the main living area, possibly watch some television and hopefully someone would walk through soon enough, whether it is to get to the kitchen or just to watch the television. Besides, Gippal and Rikku had managed to get the power back enough so that the air conditioning ran, big relief to everyone. Particularly Sonya. She was _less_ than pleased with the absence of the cooling air.

Casually strolling over to the couch, Kyria leaned her leg up against it. Letting her upper body weight distort her balance, she tipped over, spilling onto the couch. With her legs still dangling over the arm of the couch, she stretched out her left arm and grabbed onto the remote. Pressing the circular red button at the top, she put the television on and began to surf through the channels, not really looking for anything in particular. It didn't take long for her to give up on searching and just settle on some obscure channel. She really wasn't all that interested in watching television. If the truth be told, she was more just looking for some background noise. While the peace and quiet was nice, over the past month or so she'd grown used to all the noise and to be in total silence was awkward.

Closing her eyes, the ice heiress mused over a few things in her mind. It had been months since they'd started on this journey, and she had met some interesting people and learned some interesting things. Hell, a few months ago she'd merely thought she was just simply talented with magic, never in a million year would she have imagined that she was the heiress to some god that died thousands of years ago. Her mind wrapped around what had happened, and what was supposed to happen. She was a goddess, a goddess that had minimal control over her powers and was supposed to go up against one of the _original_ gods. It was a thought that terrified her. The group had never spent much time contemplating the possible outcomes, regardless of Sonya continuously bashing it into their heads. '_She's not trying to put us down; she's trying to stress the importance of this… We're no where near ready for this, and we don't have much time.'_

A sigh escaped between her barely parted lips. "And if we keep jerking around… we're going to end up dead…" Her voice was like a whisper, barely audible to anyone but herself. It was the first time she vocalized it, and probably the first time the severity of the situation had hit anyone other than Sonya and Maximus. "This sucks…"

"Glad I'm no longer the only one who knows that."

Kyria jumped, practically out off of the couch. The sudden, unexpected interjection of the male voice startled her. Her eyes shot open, immediately falling upon the soft facial features of the Angel of light. His silver eyes twinkled with the natural friendly demeanor that Maximus always had. A smile was worn on his face as his disheveled brown hair fell over his eyes.

"Maximus," she breathed as she placed a hand over her chest. "You scared me." She took a few deep breathes of air trying to calm her rapidly beating heart.

A soft chuckle fell from his lips as he ran a hand through his hair. "Deepest apologies, Kyria." Placing his hands firmly on the back of the couch, he looked down at her once more. "I merely was going to offer you some company, didn't realize you were talking to yourself." He lowered his upper body down, placing his elbows on the couch; he cocked his head to the side before continuing. "You seem to have a bit on your mind, anything you wish to speak about?" He flashed a quick reassuring smile that let her know that he was there if she wished to chat.

The ice heiress sat up, swinging her legs around placing her feet on the ground. She opened her mouth to speak, and then closed it. Opened it. Closed it. She did this a few times before letting an exasperated sigh fall from her mouth. "With everything that's going on, I'm beginning this that maybe Sonya is right. That we don't get what's going on. That our focus isn't on the goals at hand." Situating her elbows on her thighs she rested her head upon the palms of her hands, her eyes locked straight again. "I'm… I'm just beginning to feel that we may not be able to do this…"

Maximus jumped up over the back of the couch and plopped down besides Kyria. "Don't let Sonya's words affect you too much, dearest," he cooed as he placed his hand on her shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Sonya expects a lot of you. She says those things because she has very high set standards foe the lot of you, which most of you will not live up to. She assigned you the titles gods and goddesses, she expects you to live up to the title."

Kyria shot Maximus a dry look. "That's part of the problem. She is shooting down our morale. Ryu is so caught up on the fact that Sonya _hates_ him that he can hardly focus on anything else." She shook her head, rolling her eyes. "He is so mad; he's convinced that she just attacks him for no reason. He really thinks that she attacked him just because she felt like it. He refuses to even acknowledge that her bracelet may have been special…" She groaned as she hid her face in the palms of her hands. "I mean, the growing animosity between the two of them is ridiculous…and it's only getting worse."

"I see…" was the only response Maximus could offer Kyria. He knew Sonya's reasoning, but that didn't mean he had the ability to explain that to the others. It wasn't his place, and he'd pretty much be looking at a trip to Dios if he did tell them. The angel was stuck, he wanted to give tem the whole story, he wanted to get them to try and understand Sonya's plight, but this was Sonya he was dealing with. It almost didn't matter _what_ the reasoning was behind it. Neither the heirs nor Sonya would be receptive to the exchange of words. They were too far entangled with one another. The heirs would still resent the treatment they received from the dark Angel, and Sonya would be _livid_ that her history was being shared with humans. "And the others?"

Kyria rolled her eyes. "Kaden is just as obnoxious as the first day he came here. He still thinks he's some prodigy, who is convinced he's going to score with Julia _and_ me." Her normal soft expression contorted into on of disgust briefly as she spoke about Kaden. "Then Julia is sick of Sonya's attitude, she's another one that feels like Sonya is constantly targeting her." Shaking her head she looked at Maximus and shrugged. "I don't talk to Tidus much, so I don't know how he feels about the entire thing, though I'm sure you've noticed the thick tension that's on the ship. The heirs whisper behind her back, but are so afraid to step out of line, even Rikku and Yuna are afraid of Sonya…"

The angel of light nodded taking in all the information. He knew most of it. It was obvious and the tension on that ship was so thick it could choke a shoopuff. Sonya had everyone on edge, though that was her personality and there was no way to change that around. "How are you?" he asked as he tilted his head, sending the heiress a concerned look. "You seem really stressed by this."

"Of course I am, Max," she expressed dejectedly. "I mean, I'm trying hard not to hate Sonya but I feel like I'm walking on glass around her. Then on top of that _everyone_ hates her and Ryu expresses it quite frequently." Running her fingers through her hair, she closed her fist around her hair and pulled it gently. "I just wish _everyone_ would try to get along better. I wish Sonya and Ryu would get along better…" Blue eyes fell to the floor before them as she continued to speak, "I think if they got along better, the tension might lighten… I mean it _never_ stops between those two."

Placing a friendly hand on the ice heiress' shoulder, Maximus gave it a reassuring squeeze. "It'll get better, milady. Don't stress yourself too much." As the brunette angel spoke, the door to the recreational area swooshed open and in entered the orange haired fire heir. The two brunettes didn't bother acknowledging him as he waltzed right past them towards the kitchen. "Their personalities conflict. It's something _they_ have to work on. Kyria, there isn't much you can do. Sonya will not change. It's not like you can lock the two of them in a closet and demand they get along." Then with one last reassuring smile, the angel of light stood from the couch and started towards the door. "Gippal and Rikku should have the airship fixed soon enough. Two days at the maximum. Maybe the change of scenery will help. Sonya is probably going stir crazy being stuck here." With those words spoken, he left the heiress to herself.

--xXx--

Blue hair was brushed back into a ponytail on the thunder heiress who was enjoying her time off on the beach of Besaid. Living on the Thunder Plain, Julia rarely saw the sun, never mind actually lay in it. Taking full advantage of their situation, she was laid out on the shore of Besaid soaking up some rays. She was originally going to ask Kyria or Yuna if they wanted to join her, but she decided that she would rather spend the time by herself, since she never had time to herself.

Her wishes were dashed quickly when an obnoxious interjection forced her attention away from herself. "Hey, hey pretty lady. What'cha doin' all by yourself?"

Julia groaned internally, as she kept her violet eyes closed, refusing to acknowledge the presence of Kaden. This, too, proved to be futile as the orange haired Kilika resorted to poking and prodding her to see if she had fallen asleep. "Go away, Kaden," she said as she swatted his hand away. "I'm trying to relax. I happen to enjoy being alone."

"Wow! That's so weird…" he said as he sat himself down next to the lounging heiress. "So do I! We can do it together." Stretching out his legs, he reached his arms over his head and laid down next to the heiress. "Ah… that's nice."

"What are you doing?" Julia questioned her tone flat with a strong sense of seriousness to it. For the first time since the Kilikan had made his presence know, Julia looked at him. Her swirled eyes were slightly narrowed, and her facial expression clearly reading that she was not enjoying her uninvited guest.

Browns eyes peered over at the tan features of the Al Bhed. "Baby girl, I'm just trying to get to know you. You need to relax." Brushing a hand across her cheek he smiled and continued. "All work and no _play_ makes Jules a dull girl."

Julia's expression never faltered, nor did it change. She didn't even move. Instead, the cloudless sky turned dark and a shot of lightning slammed down in between the two heirs, hitting the sand. Scooping her petite hand under the newly formed piece of glass Julia tilted her head to the side and said, "You have to the count of five, before I start throwing sharp objects." Smiling brightly she held the sharp glass up higher and began to count. "One… two…"

"Awh, Julesy, you don't have to play hard to get with me. I know you want this." He barely finished the sentence before he was forced to dodge the projectile that had come from the petite Al Bhed. "Whoa!" he cried as multiple bolts of lightning struck the ground around them turning the sand into glass. "I got you… you're shy. It's ok. I'll check you later." With a wink and a blown kiss, Kaden took off running trying his best to avoid being cut by Julia's home made glass ware.

"Idiot…" she sneered as she gave up on trying to cut the fire heir and lazily dropped back down to her sand made bed.

Her sunbathing rest didn't last long, when a shadow was cast over her due to an overbearing figuring blocking the sun from above her. "Whoa, Jules, Sonya isn't rubbing off on you, is she?"

Julia cracked open a single eye as she glanced up at the figure blocking the sun. Her gaze fell upon the friendly features of the water god. "Nonsense, Tidus, I could never be like Sonya…" Julia said as she propped herself up on her elbows. "Though that doesn't mean her use of violence to solve problems isn't a good idea sometimes…" Keeping her gaze on the blond, she continued the conversation, directing it in a different direction. "So, how exactly do you _live_ here? Outside the beach and Blitz ball, this is _nothing_ to do."

"It's not so bad," Tidus said with a cheesy grin as he took a seat besides her in the side. "It's no Zanarkand, but I couldn't think of living anywhere else. Besides, getting dragged into everything that we do… it's kind of nice to come home to a quiet place."

Nodding her head, she dropped her self back down into the sand, haphazardly slinging an arm over her face. "That's true enough…" she muttered. "You and Yuna get dragged into everything… don't you ever feel like saying 'no'?" A violent eye peeked out, stealing a quick glance at the water god, before retreating back under Julia's arm.

Tidus sighed as he ran a hand through his blond hair. "You have no idea…" he admitted, his voice holding a hint of depression to it. "But… ya know… impending doom is one heck of a bargainer… He always gets me." Tidus let out a forced laugh, unsure of whether he was trying to convince himself or Julia that he didn't really mind the constant call to be a savior.

"Hey…" Julia started, placing a hand on the Blitzer's leg. "We are without a doubt, very grateful for what you and Yuna did," she reassured him. "I just don't think it's fair that it's _always_ you. Sure, you get "recognized" and "thanked" but a pat on the back for risking you life hardly seems worth the effort."

Tidus was half tempted to try one of Yuna's speeches about seeing the happy faces on the people of Spira and how their joy brings happiness to his heart, but he wasn't up to it. If the truth be told, he wanted to avoid this current situation all together and yet, here he was… fighting for Spira … _again._ "The same could be said about you, no?" he said in an attempt to steer the conversation elsewhere. "You won't get much more than a "Spira Thanks You!" type thing, so why are you here now?"

"You mean aside from the forcefully being dragged here?" she inquired, sarcasm lacing her words. Sending Tidus a small smile she continued, "Well… because it's only me that can do it. You know, any summoner could have beaten Sin… any person could have beaten Vegnagun, and _anyone _can delegate talks for peace…" Shrugging her shoulders she got up out of the sand and began to pick up her belongings. "Besides if I tried to leave, I'd leave with no head, along with other various body parts… Sonya would be sure of it."

The water good nodded with a smile. "True story."

Julia laughed softly as she outreached a hand and helped Tidus to his feet. "Come on, Sonya gave us the night off. Let's actually enjoy it."

--xXx--

The sun was beginning to set as Sonya made her first appearance outside of her bedroom. She was currently making her way off the airship and towards the beach. Her emerald eyes, glared at the surrounding area, scrutinizing every inch of the landscape as she subconsciously rubbed her now bare wrist. "Idiot," she snarled as she stretched her arms over her head.

Shaking the negatives thoughts from her head, she traveled down to the beach. As soon as her foot made contact with the clean sands of Besaid, she began to sprint along the coast. The exercise was not just to steer clear of the heirs, nor to keep in shape. It was an attempt to clear her mind. She'd been nothing short of ridiculously pissed since her last encounter with the wind god and she needed to calm down somewhat or every living creature in a 100 mile radius was dead.

She had managed to avoid the heirs for the majority of the day but being stuck up in the airship was not her idea of a good time. _'Idiot heirs... I don't know why Dios thinks they can help us. Maximus and I should be __**more**__ than enough to handle two gods. We're 275 times better than these imbeciles.'_ Her eyes narrowed as she pumped her arms harder, forcing her body to run faster. Anger was coursing through her veins as she ran, and she was sure to channel it all into her running. _'The only thing they managed to do if piss me off.'_ Rolling her eyes she continued on her mental tirade, _'Hell, even __**Maximus**__ is growing tired of their antics.'_

Sonya gritted her teeth as she continued to run around the island. Se had just about lapped around the entire island twice when a small sweat began to form on her forehead, but she wasn't finished yet. She was a quarter of the way through lap three when something jumped into her path. "Shit!" she grunted as she tried desperately to stop short so not to run over the object in her path. Unfortunately, the sand had other plans.

The dark angel toppled over, crashing to the floor, dragging her unidentified assailant with her. "Ugh…" she groaned as she rolled over to the side. "Way to go, _dumbass…_" she hissed as she clenched her hand into a fist, ready to knock the person into next week.

"Sorry! I am so, so sorry!" came an all too familiar apologetic voice.

Sonya's face contorted into an expression of surprise and confusion. "Nick!?" she asked, bewilderment evident in her voice. "What the _hell_ are you doing? I could have broken something…" Placing a hand to her forehead she rubbed gently as she continued, "Like, I almost just _broke your nose."_

"Sorry!" he apologized again, "I called out to you a few times, but you were so into running you didn't hear me." Getting to his feet, he offered a hand to help the dark Angel up, only to receive a less than gentle slap away from her. Pulling his hand back, he rubbed the soar spot as he continued to speak. "Then I tried to run after you, but Yevon… you are really fast."

Sonya jumped to her feet, and quietly brushed the sand from her clothing. "I was _training_." She lifted her gaze towards him, and shot him a dirty look. He may be good in bed, but he was becoming a nuisance, always appearing where she was. "Regardless, what is so important that you needed to throw yourself at me to get my attention?"

"You said you'd spend time with me if you were here tonight… remember?" he said as he tilted his head to the side. Holding a hand out, he hoped she would take it rather than smack it away. "You said you'd let me get to know you better…"

Briefly frowning, the dark Angel took his hand in her own hand. "I do hope we're not going anywhere that requires me to be dressed nicely, because to be quite frank, I hardly consider shorts and a tank top dressy." With her free hand, the dark angel pulled the hair tie from her raven colored tresses, letting her straight hair fall gently over her back.

"No, nothing like that…" Nick started as he walked away. "I just want to get to know _all_ about you." The brunette sent her a smile, which quickly turned into a hurt expression as a twinge of pain shot through his free hand. The mark on his hand was burning, he assumed it was due to Hades and Gabriella being angry with him for putting off killing the heirs, but something about Sonya was so intriguing. Besides he could probably get a bit of information out of her about the heirs if he wanted to. After all, she was traveling with them for some reason or another.


	19. Chapter 19

Author's Note: o.o Well its been well over a year now since I updated. Again I'm sorry. I graduated from Uni and suddenly had this urge to write. I still need to reread the story, get back into my characters and hopefully finish this story, since I love all my characters.

I'm sure none of my old readers are going to note the update. But thank you to the few that stalked my life up til this point :) Love you! Enjoy

**Chapter Nineteen.**

Slinging an arm around the dark Angel, Nick pulled Sonya closer to him as they sat in the sand along the coast of Besaid. "Hey, Sonya?" Nick started, his fingers gently tapping on her arm. "Is everything alright?" He paused, allowing the dark angel enough time to tilt her head and give him an inquisitive glance. "It's just you seem kind of distant. Something bothering you?"

Sonya shook her head no. Not just something was bothering her, practically everything was bothering her. From her lack of powers to being stuck on Besaid with the incompetent heirs, it all bothered her. She wanted to hurt something and at the same time she wanted to just be by herself. She held her bare wrist in her hand, and her stomach knotted. This was one of those times she wanted to be alone. Sighing, she brushed Nick's arm off her shoulder. "I'm sorry, but I'm not feeling well tonight." She stood, brushing the sand off herself as she continued to talk. "I didn't intend to cut the evening short."

Nick got up from his seated position and stood in front of Sonya. "Well I still don't know much about you, but if you are sick I wouldn't want to keep you here. You seem out of it, so you should go rest."

Forcing a smile to her lips, she gently patted the side of his face. "We'll save that for next time, ne?" she said, almost positive she'd see him again for one reason or another. Then before another word or action could be made, she slipped past him and into the shadows of the trees lining the beach, heading straight for the airship.

Sonya moved at a slightly faster rate than normal. She wanted to get back to the airship so that she could jump into a bath. She still had some bumps and bruises, all of which she wanted gone by the following morning, so she needed to take another bath in the man made liquid cures. Once she arrived in the airship, she dodged into the closet bathroom, she opened up the closet, and grabbed the bag of potions, elixers and any other healing item she had procured in the past few days. Opening each and everyone up, she poured the contents into the porcelain tub. Then stripping off her garments she quietly stepped into the bathtub. Lowering herself into the cool mixed contents, she sighed. She could finally be left alone to her own thoughts.

---xXx---

"Sonya has been in the bathroom for over an hour," Kaden complained as he subconsciously placed a hand over his throat. "She has her _own_, why in Yevon's name is she in ours?" The orange haired Kilikan was speaking to Ryu, whom he shared a bathroom with.

The wind heir shrugged his shoulders as he stared straight at the Sphere, watching whatever was being broadcasted that late at night. "Maybe we got lucky and she drowned?" He could only wish. Sonya had been nothing but violently inclined recently, and he'd bout had enough of receiving the brunt of her ill-tempered outbursts.

"Tsk…" The irritate noise sounded off behind them causing everyone that occupied the living area to turn their head in the direction from which is came, regardless of the fact that they didn't have to. Each person in that area already knew who it was, "How'd you like to _drown_ in your own blood?" The words were laced with malice, Sonya's expression was fierce. She almost dared them to talk back to her.

"Damn," Ryu said as he turned away from her. "Maybe next time we'll get lucky, she'll go in and never come back out." The wind god had lost the small bit of interest that had drawn him to look in her direction. And right now, as far as he was concerned, she could be dying in from of him and wouldn't care. In fact he'd probably kneel down and pray thanks to Yevon.

In the time it took to blink, Sonya was on him. A fist full of dirty blond hair was yanked back and a gun was placed against his temple. A few drops from her wet hair fell down the side of his neck as the dark angel sneered, "Ryu, let me make something clear for you. I **don't care** if you don't like me, cause to be honest? I hate your very existence. _However,_ if you think your attitude is going to be tolerate you are mistaken. I've said it before, and I'm saying it again. I will kill you. Next time you mouth off to me, I will not hesitate to place a bullet through this idiotic head of yours."

Ryu nodded, or at least he did to the best of his current ability. "Yes, ma'am." He stuttered. Then with a smug grin and a roll of emerald eyes, Sonya pushed his head forward. "Good." Then without warning she slammed the gun down on his head, forcing him to collapse to the floor. A collective gasp resounded as the crack from the gun echoed through the cabin. "So do yourself the favor of taking that cocky attitude down a few notches." Sauntering over to his huddled body, she knelt down besides him and continued to speak. "Because I don't care what your 'position' is. You are _not _special and I _will_ hurt you." With those final words spoken, the princess of pandemonium stood, turned her back to the group and made her way to the exit.

As the metallic door swooshed closed behind Sonya, Tidus and Kyria jumped up out of their seats. Kyria scurried over to Ryu's side while Tidus muttered something about getting Maximus before he started out the door.

"Yevon, Ryu… What is wrong with you?" She snapped, her voice slightly more harsh than the normal tone. "I don't understand why you insist on talking back to her. Just leave her alone."

Ryu pushed her helping hands away as he sat up and leaned his back against the couch. "I don't need you to lecture me, Ria. I already told you it doesn't matter what I do, she'd hit me anyway."

Kyira's expression fell as she looked to Julia for some assistance. "Ryu, you honestly can't think she would have hit you if you didn't mouth off to her tonight… "Julia said in an attempt to help her female friend. "You're not thinking logically…"

"Like you would know. She doesn't maim you every chance she gets…" Ryu said, stubbornly refusing to listen to any one else.

"Cause we don't freakin' mouth off to her. Yevon almighty! What the hell is wrong with you?" Kyria had snapped. She'd lost her patience with him. This feud between the two was spreading tension through the entire ship and she'd had enough. She wasn't going to listen to it anymore. "I'm sick of listening to your _victim_ stories. We all have to endure the same thing, do you _like_ having a sad story to tell? Cause that really seems what you are going for…" The ice heiress threw her hands in the air in total frustration as she stood from the floor and stormed over to a chair across the room. "I am done speaking with you. Ryu. You should just go to bed."

The remaining two heirs stole glances between the two, slightly surprised by what just happened. They'd never seen Kyria lose her temper, and while it wasn't anywhere near as bad as Sonya, it was still surprising. Neither of them spoke, unsure of exactly what to do. It wasn't until Ryu quietly got up from the floor and made his way to the hall, that the began to speak again.

It was Kaden that broke the silence first. "I know this isn't a fun topic, but it really seems like all Ryu and Sonya do is fight." Kyria and Julia nodded. "Now, don't take me head off, but it does seem like she has it in for him. I mean I know she's a bitch, but she's harder on things he does. Kind of like she's focused her attention on him."

Kyria opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off before she could. "She has, " was the response they received from Maximus who had just entered from the door that Ryu exited through, behind him Tidus closely followed. "For reasons you all wouldn't understand… and you'd be wise not to try and fix that. She won't kill him, and she'll eventually lose interest"

"But it is so annoying," Tidus commented from behind him. "She's practically _looking_ to argue with him. Normally, she shouts some strange words I can't understand and disappears."

"Which brings up the point that she hasn't just 'disappeared' in a while," Julia noted as she stole a glance at the Angel of light. "At least not since…" she paused as something seemed to dawn on her, "The calm lands, actually."

Maximus quirked an eyebrow. _'They aren't quite as stupid as most, or at least Julia isn't.'_ "Observant." The light angel commended. "Due to current situations, she is not able to," he spoke slowly so to word his sentence correctly.

Kyria tilted her head in the Angel's direction, her blue eyes filled with wonder. "Did she lose her powers? I did notice a bruise on her arm and… that isn't really like her. "She followed through, "So losing her magic seems plausible… no?"

"That does make sense," Tidus agreed. He too had taken notice that the Dark Angel had been less magic dependent since the ordeal at the calm lands.

"Was it punishment for killing me?" Kaden asked, his cocky side showing once again.

Maximus sent him a dry look before holding up his hands. "Yare, Yare. You all talk so fast. Though I won't lie, I am surprised you came to that conclusions alone." He told them as he crossed his arms over his abdomen. He wasn't sure if telling them would be a good thing, or not. On the one had they don't need to know Sonya' business, but at the same time, them bothering her about it could end catastrophically. "Yes." He stated finally. "Her powers have been sealed, _temporarily._ Though more as a safety precaution to you than a punishment to her," he paused and glanced at Kaden. "Keep it in mind that magic is _not_ her primary offense Melee is where she excels and because she's lost a few _extras_ in no way means she's handicapped at all.

"Well, no powers kind of humanizes her, don't you think?" Tidus said off hand.

Maximus' silver eyes shone with that friendly jovial shine they always have as he smirked and said, "If you consider a seven **thousand** year old trained swordswoman with guns humanized, then of course!" Patting the water god on the arm, she moved past him. "I suggest sleeping, Sonya will probably wish to train you before me." Stopping at the door, her turned his head and glanced over his shoulder. "And you'd probably be best not to mention her powers being sealed… well… ever." Finishing that thought he opened the door, waved over his shoulder and went to bed, leaving the four heirs to their own devices.

Kaden had a smirk on his face as he motioned to the other. "Come here, I just got an idea…" he motioned to the seats around him and waited for the other three to get closer.

"Kaden, we are not interested in your new sick twisted ideas that you want to try on Ria and myself," Julia said as she brought a hand to her forehead. "And I think Tidus is even _less_ interested."

"Julia… That's for later, this is about Ryu and Sonya," motioning the others closer to him. "Now this is what I'm thinking…"

---xXx---

Being without her powers, Sonya has lost her heightened alarm, making it slightly easier for the heirs to sneak up on her without detection… or at least when she was sleeping. Which was the current plan.

"You sure he's in the bathroom?" Kaden questioned curiously. He was excited about his plan actually being done, but angering the angel without the plan following through was like asking for an early death because she _would_ kill them.

Tidus nodded. "Positive, just came back from there and Ria is making sure he stays there."

The orange haired fire god nodded before he asked "Ok, ready then?" The blond nodded his answer. "Let's go." Together, they quietly snuck into the Dark Angel's bedroom. Cast mostly in darkness, the two heirs could barely make out the unconscious form of Sonya. They were lucky; the Angel had fallen asleep on top of the blankets. It just made their job easier.

Kaden grinned. Sonya was laying on her back in a pair of miniature shorts and a black tank top that was currently riding up, leaving her torso uncovered. In one swift motion, Tidus punched the fire god's arm sending him a glare before pointing to the blanket. As fast as their bodies would allow, the two heirs grabbed the corners of the blanket and pulled it over the sleeping Angel's form, trapping her within. Then, with a quick yank, they pulled the dark Angel off the bed and began to drag her towards the bathroom.

As was expected, Sonya didn't stay sleeping much after they got her in the blankets. "What. The. _FUCK_?!" came the irate yell from within the blanket. Sonya wasn't sure what was going on, but she was less than pleased.

"Move quickly, Kaden, she's awake…" Tidus voiced as he watched the blanket contort from the wild motions of the Angel. "And a tad bit angry …"

"Let me out of here, you son of a bitch!" Sonya screamed as she thrashed about, hoping that if she hit someone they'd drop her and she'd be out of her cotton prison. "I'll kill both of you idiots if you don't let me out this instant!"

"But, you'll kill us if we let you out too," Kaden pointed out as he struggled to carry the Angel to the bathroom.

There was silence for a minute before Sonya punched the blanket as hard as she could, hitting the fire god in the shin. "_LET ME GO_!!!" Kaden yelped as he dropped the Angel on the floor. "OW! You _asshole_! You dropped me!!" She snapped, her plan hadn't worked out, he'd merely just caused her more physical harm.

"_You just hit me_, you psychotic **witch**!" the heir replied as he hefted the blanket back into the air, moving slightly faster as he walked.

---xXx---

"Why is Sonya so angry?" Ryu asked when he heard the curses that flowed from the Angel's mouth. He tried to listen more closely to what she was saying, but she had slipped into the forbidden language, so he could no longer understand her screams.

Kyria shrugged as she looked down the hallway and spotted Kaden struggling with the Angel. The ice goddess stepped to the side as Kaden rushed over and flung the Angel, blanket and all into the bathroom. "What the…" Ryu's confused voice stated as he jumped back from the blanket. His eyes widened in horror as the contents of the blankets spilled onto the floor. "OH MY YEVON! What the _HELL_!?"

Sonya paid him no heed as she scrambled to her feet and lunged for the closing door. "Damn it!" she cursed as the door shut in her face.

"Neither of you are coming out of there until you learn to get along. Shit, Sonya, you fight more with Ryu than Maximus," Kaden's muffled voice came through the metal door, a hint of confidence in it now that an iron door was between the two of them.

"I knew it!" The wind god shrieked, his blue eyes filled with trepidation. "You all hate me! You want me to die!" He wasn't sure whether to cry, or be angry. They had trapped him, in the bathroom, with the only person in the entire world that hated him.

The dark Angel snapped her head around and glared at the heir. "Shut up," she hissed.

Ryu quickly clamped his mouth shut as he back up against the wall, trying to stay as far away from her as he possibly could. It was one thing living in the airship with her and training with her, Maximus was always around, and if need be he could run away, but being stuck in a room alone with her, was like a death sentence. The wind god was flabbergasted that the others would do that to him. _'Oh man, I am going to die…'_

Sonya turned her attention back to the door and tried her best to force it open, but it wouldn't budge and without her powers or weapons it was going to take more effort than she was willing to exert at that moment to rip the door off its hinges. "You little bastards," she screamed as she gave it another pull, hoping that it she could maybe break the hinges, "Let me out of here!!"

"Have fun," Kaden mocked as he went to walk away. He stopped, though, when he heard the irate scream from the Angel. Turning his head, he glanced at the door that now had a huge dent poking out into the hallway.

"LET ME OUT!" She continued to scream as she slammed her fist into the door, putting another dent in the steel. Ryu stared in horror as he watched the Angel grow more irate and hostile by the minute. "You stupid little shits! Wait til I get out of here!" she screeched as she slammed her fist into the door again. "You're all _DEAD_!" She let out another feral scream before she whirled around and slammed her fist into the mirror, shattering it into a hundred pieces. She didn't even flinch as random shards of glass sliced open her skin, and some smaller pieces embedded themselves in her fist.

Outside the three heirs were exchanging nervous glances. "Do you think its safe to leave them together?" Kyria said as she examined the dents in the bathroom door. "I don't think having Ryu being slashed with pieces of glass is going to help us. We need him in one piece… not fifteen."

"One heir or five heirs, your choice," Kaden said as he backed away from the door. "But I'm getting a head start." With those words uttered he took off full speed down the hall. The water god mimicked his actions, only running in the opposite direction.

Kyria watched the two heirs flee and shook her head. _'I'm not going to be the one attacked and mutilated first.'_ She thought as she looked remorsefully at the door. "Sorry, Ryu…" she whispered before she too ran off away from the bathroom door. _'Maybe I can find Max…'_

---xXx---

Ryu stared at the Angel, eyes wide. _'Maybe if I stand really still she'll think I'm part of the wall and she'll ignore me…'_ He stopped his thoughts and contorted his face into one of disbelief. _'I can't believe I just thought that…' _If he hadn't been petrified with fear, he probably would have smacked himself for being so stupid.

Sonya slowly pulled her hand back away from the mirror and looked at her hand. Blood was trickling out of the cuts and dripping on the floor. She glared at her hand, mad that she couldn't heal it, mad that she was stuck in this position, mad because now she was going to be 'handicapped' with this injured hand, and mad that she felt so pathetic. _'I've become so dependent on my magic, that without it… I'm hopeless…'_

Ryu watched with interest as she sat down on the toilet, not once looking at him. She held her injured right hand before her and using her left hand she slowly started to pick at the pieces of glass that were embedded in her skin. "You… aren't going to try to kill me?" he asked slowly, keeping his distance, just in case the angel had a momentary lapse of memory.

She lifted her gaze to him, her eyes narrowed. "Not now," she snapped. "I doubt very much that _you wanted_ to be locked in the bathroom with _me_." She looked back down at her hand and started to pick at the glass again, "But for future reference, Ryu," she lifted her head once more and locked eyes with the wind god. "I don't need to _try _to kill you."

He nodded his head, seriously. "That is _very _true." He watched her intently as she continued to remove pieces of shattered glass from her hand, she had gotten the larger pieces out with no problem, but the smaller pieces were proving to be more difficult to remove with just one hand.

"If you keep staring at me, I'm going to jam Kaden's toothbrush through your eye," she said not lifting her gaze from her hand. Her face contorted into a look of contempt as she continued under her breath, "and then force it down the fire prick's throat."

He tilted his head to the left as he continued to look at her hand. "Do you want some help, I ca-" He stopped talking when he saw that Sonya had stopped picking at the glass and was glaring at him. He moved his eyes to the side as he said "I'll take that as a no."

"No, you can take that as 'If you continue to talk to me I will mutilate your body beyond recognition'," the raven-haired angel hissed before going back to picking glass out of her hand.

He rolled his eyes as he leaned against the sink. You just couldn't talk to Sonya, though he didn't know why he even bothered trying. If you offered to help her, she would just rip your head off… literally. He glanced between the door and the Angel. _'This is going to be a long day…'_

---xXx---

The silence hung heavy in the bathroom, as Sonya diligently worked to remove the glass from her hand. The bleeding hadn't ceased since she had been in the bathroom, and her legs were covered in just as much blood as her hand was. _'This is absurd…'_ she thought bitterly as she attempted for the fifteenth time to remove a single piece of glass. When the stubborn piece of glass refused to leave, and decided it would embed itself further into her skin, her fists clenched and she snapped, "What the hell? GET THE HELL OUT OF MY HAND, DAMN IT!"

Ryu moved his gaze to the angel slowly. _'Oh, Yevon, she's gone crazy,'_ he thought as he saw the Angel glaring fiercely at her hand. _'Great… perfect time to just loose any bit of sanity she had left…'_ Ryu slowly inched away from her, keeping his eyes peeled on her to be sure she didn't suddenly lunge for his throat or something when he wasn't looking.

"Make yourself useful, idiot," she growled as she jerked her head up and locked eyes with the wind god. "Get this Dios forsaken glass out of my freakin' hand. _Now."_

His blue eyes widened when she said that. "You're asking for my help?"

"I didn't ask," she snapped. "I ordered it. Now, unless you want to be missing some vital body parts, I suggest you remove this damned glass from my hand _and fast_." Her emerald eyes narrowed, silently daring him to say no to her demand. She crossed her legs and held out her blood-covered hand. As Ryu sat on the floor in front of her she used her free hand to wiped the blood off her thighs.

Slowly Ryu reached out for her hand, slightly apprehensive that he would get hit as soon as their skin made contact. Since the only time they made physical contact was when she was attacking him. Ginergly, Ryu took the Angel's hand in his own. He patted lightly upon the wound so to clean up the area. His moves were very meticulous, knowing all to well that one false move would result with his head being shoved _through_ the metal door. What took about a total of fifteen minutes, seems to go on for an eternity. The air was heavy with silence, neither of them uttering a single syllable.

Sonya's eyes were glazed over, her mind obviously far from their 'prison.' Finishing up, he took a few cautious steps back towards the sink. "I think I got it all," he quietly said as he turned on the water, ready to wash her blood from his hands. "You might want to clean and bandage it though."

She quietly nodded '_thanks'_ before she stood. Ryu carefully maneuvered out of her way as she moved before the sink, placing her hand under the falling water, causing it to run red. With her good hand, she opened the medicine cabinet, and grabbed a spool of medical bandages – an item that had been over-stocked since their journey had began. Swiftly, she wrapped the bandage around her hand, pulling the excess up to her mouth and detaching it from the spool with her teeth. Casually stepped passed the wind god, she landed herself in the tub, slowly lowering herself down until she was practically laying in it.

They both remained quiet, Ryu didn't want to instigate her. Not when they were in such close quarters, especially since Maximus wasn't on the airship. By the time the light angel would find him, Ryu could already have been sliced and dices into pieces that were beyond repair. He stayed seated on the toilet in the corner, and although he tried to desperately not look in her direction, he couldn't help but to every so often steal a glance in her direction. Maybe it was because he was afraid that she was going to mutilate him at any given second, or possibly it was because her expression seemed down trodden, something he'd never seen. Had it not been so utterly terrifying to him, he might have tried to console her.

However, he didn't have to say anything. _She_ started the conversation. "If you exerted that effort you used on my hand, while fighting… you would fair much better." Her emerald eyes were fixated on her bare wrist, her fingers gently caressing the area every few moments. "Your mind isn't clear, you're too focused on what is going to happen, rather than what is happening. If you paid attention, and tried to calculate your own moves as well as your opponents, you would spend less time in the infirmary." Closing her eyes she leaned her head against the tiled wall.

"It's not every day that I have permission to touch you Sonya. I was afraid it was a ploy to get me close enough to hurt me without having to move." He admitted, with a nod. While he would talk back to Sonya, and attempt to express his feelings to her numerous times, he still wasn't a big enough idiot to place himself inches from her hands and feet. She hit hard enough when she had to actually go after him, never mind when he was literally right there. "Besides, I knew if I screwed up, even a little, you'd have shoved my head right through the titanium door."

"Heh." Her eyes were closed as a small smirk etched itself onto her face. It was true, had Ryu managed to hurt her in the least, she more than less likely would have grabbed him by the throat and used him as a means to get out of the bathroom. "So, your more concerned about a _possibility_ of getting hurt, than the _reality_ of getting hurt when we are in battle, ne? I think your priorities are a little skewed." Opening her eyes, she leisurely turned her head in his direction. Her emerald eyes watched him curiously, trying to understand how exactly his thought processes worked.

Ryu felt somewhat uneasy under Sonya's gaze. It was neither angry nor sadistic. Her eyes seemed to be laced with curiosity rather than animosity. And had Ryu not known her before, he'd think she was a human being, just like everyone else. "Skewed, maybe, but knowing what's coming isn't as frightening as not knowing."

Raising a curious eye brow, Sonya stared at him for another brief moment. "Meh," was the single syllable 'word' she made to signify that she'd all about lost interest. "Whatever you say, _I_ _still_ think you're an idiot."

Ryu sighed. So much for the nice, human-like Sonya.

---xXx---

Kyria was frantic as she raced around the airship. She needed to find Maximus, and as fast as she possibly could. For all she knew, Sonya could have killed Ryu and bathed in his blood already. An uncontrollable shudder ran along her back as she ran through the door frame to the bridge of the ship. "Where is Maximus?" Her voice was strained, the urgency of the situation flowing forth from her words.

A single swirled green eye looked back at her immediately at attention. Anytime someone was looking for Maximus it usually meant Sonya was involved. Consequently, that mean something was broken, or someone was dying. Neither of which was good news, and truth be told, Gippal was a little tired of cleaning and repairing things on his air ship. "He left a little while ago, something about taking a run around the island a few times.... Why?"

Kyria groaned, if Maximus wasn't making a lap back when she ran outside, it could take forever to find him. "Ryu and Sonya again..." That was all she said and Gippal understood, he was no stranger to the fighting that was done between the two of them. He sighed, but before he could say anything else, the slender brunette dashed back towards the exit of the ship. She needed to find Maximus as quickly as possible.

What they had decided to do was dumb. Sonya was going to kill Ryu and nothing would be solved in the end. She would most likely just start attacking all of the heirs with the feral attacks she used on Ryu. Lifting a hand to her head, Kyria rapped herself a few times. '_This was the dumbest thing you've done to date, Ria...'_

_---xXx---_

"I kid you not, Ryu. If you carefully considered each move you did, albeit, faster than you did just now, you'd fair better. Stop focusing on the power difference between you and I, and focus on what your doing. After all the tortoise beat the hare in the end, ne?" Sonya had begun talking to the heir again. She was bored and he wasn't provoking her to hurt him – so there was no reason to, right?

Until someone opened the door, or she literally put forth all the energy she had in her body to knock it down – she was stuck. There was no getting out, so there was no real point in making this more difficult than it had to be. Besides the silence between them made the room tense, and Ryu kept staring at her anyway. This would make him seem less creepy,

"The hare got lazy. I don't think you'd ever got lazy … ever." Ryu's expression was flat – even if the Dark Angel was trying to have a conversation with him, the things she said were dumb. The tortoise and the hare? The hare had gotten over confident, and had allowed himself to be beaten. Sonya would never **ever** let her guard fall. She was too full of herself to allow that to happen.

She frowned. "I meant I have low expectations of you. It wouldn't be hard to catch me off guard if you did something **good**, _idiot._" This is why she didn't talk to people. People were stupid. Ryu was especially stupid. "Though clearly, my expectations are not low enough – since I thought you'd be able to comprehend simple Spiran. _Dumb ass_." Well tensions clearly weren't going to disappear. The wind heir was always going to be suspicious of the Angel and Sonya would always think Ryu was an idiot.

Ryu didn't respond.

"Tch. Do whatever you want. It's not **my** world that's looking to be destroyed. I could hardly care less about it," Sonya said as she looked down at her bandaged hand. Spira was just a small part of a bigger picture. Regardless of what everyone thought, Spira was not the only dimension that existed. There was other world – other places. Spira was a small part of a gigantic picture. Of course, the worlds very rarely melded. Sonya and Maximus were the only remaining remnants of her former home.

Regardless, Sonya had piqued Ryu's interest. He knew that there wasn't just Spira. There was also the far plane, and there was apparently this special place where Sonya's "creator" lived. Now he was curious if there were more. "Where is your home?"

"It's on the corner of none and mind your own business," she hissed at the male.

Ryu sighed, shrugging his shoulders. She was the one that had brought it up. She was the one that mentioned being from somewhere else. He asked her one question and she was ready to rip his head off.

---xXx---

Kyria was flushed and out of breath as she fell to her knees. She was never going to find Maximus. For all she knew he'd taken flight to another island or gone to Zanarkand. Unlike herself, he wasn't bound to Besaid or this part of Spira. He could come and go as he please so she honestly couldn't be sure he was still here. "Damn." She lurched over to her hands, breathing hard. She had nearly circled the whole island looking for Maximus. He was no where to be seen. Ugh.

Letting her body drop to the sand, Kyria rolled onto her back trying to catch her breath. You would think that after all the training she did with Maximus and Sonya that she'd be able to circle Besaid in its entirety without being short of breathe.

Regret hung heavy in her chest as she reflected on the mess that the bathroom was probably in. The thought made her sick – she couldn't bear to think of Ryu in that kind of mess again. He was always fighting with the Angel, but to force them in a room together – without Max near by? That was dumb. Dumb. **Dumb.** Kyria slapped her forehead. "Stupid, stupid, stupid."

"What's stupid?"

Kyira jolted up from her seated position. Blue eyes immediately zoned in on the tone physique of Maximus. Her tanned torso exposed to the sun as he jogged over to the ice heiress. "Ryu . Sonya. Bathroom. Death" Word Vomit. She didn't even have the time to coherently make sense in her head before the words spilled out over her lips. Though that was enough, Maximus was a smart guy – and even if he didn't fully understand what was going on, all he had to hear was "Sonya" and he knew that he needed to be somewhere.

"Well then, there's no time to waste." Effortlessly the male pulled Kyria up from the floor and into his arm. Taking keen note of the fatigue that Kyria was showing, he figured running with her in his arms would be faster than making her run with him. They were still a good deal from the air ship and Maximus needed to make it back to the air ship before the green pyreflies floated off to the Farplane.

---xXx---

"Anarui." Sonya broke the silence once more. Ryu's confused look urged her to continue speaking. She rolled her eyes. "It's where I'm from."

"Oh..."

"It's not of this world, obviously. It's a lot more dangerous than Spira." Sonya sighed as her fingers gentle ran along the length of her wrist.

"Why don't you stay there?" Ryu paused, rethinking what he said. "Rather, why don't you live there. From what I can tell, you're exclusively living here?"

The dark angel hesitated, a somber gaze falling to her barren wrist. "It's just not a place I want to be." The words slipped through her lips, barely audible to herself and virtually non-existant to Ryu. It had taken years for Sonya to get over those horrible feelings. To shield herself from the nightmares that plagued her dreams. She had only been back to Anarui a few times since she'd left for Spira and she never stayed more than a few days. Aside from the memories, she had made a few enemies in that place.

"I can be alone here. People here don't have a means to locate me at will." That was the response she gave Ryu, the one she spoke more loudly and with a bit of confidence. "In case you hadn't noted yet, Ryu – I don't like being around people." She shot him a glare.

Ryu wanted to throw his hands into the air. He didn't know what to do with Sonya – her mood was about as stable as a rollar coaster. Constantly twisting, turning – going up then coming down. There was hardly anyway to deal with her. And yet there was this stupid nagging voice in the back of his mind that felt bad for her. For some unknown, unreasonable reason – Ryu felt bad for her. Maybe it was the glances to her wrist, maybe it was the somber look she just had, hell, maybe it was delusions from the anxiety coursing through his veins. Regardless, Ryu felt pity. Not that he'd ever tell her that. "You know Sonya, you can talk to people... or well, you can talk to Max..."

Sonya stood up, stepping outside of the tub she had previously been seated it. Oh great, that was it. He'd done it now. She was pissed – she was going to shove her foot down his throat. Ryu's breath was caught in his throat as he watched her stand idly before the door.

"**Oloth zhal nezdous lu' elghinn pour fotus, l' cup zhal ove'rrun xuil comson liquid lu' er'griff t'yin zhal l' deed tlu xunor** " The words were muttered under her breath as she stared fiercely at the door. A few moments of silence passed in the room before Sonya threw out her hand casting a blast of dark energy at the door, blowing it outward into the hallway. "I'm done." Scowling, the Dark Angel stepped through the makeshift door and into the hallway. Her emerald gaze fell upon an approaching Maximus carrying one of the heirs. Fatigue was already starting to course its way through Sonya's body. God damn it. Taking in a few deep breathes of air Sonya scowled at her counterpart.

"Let me make something clear to you. If this every happens again, I'll level this entire god damn island. They train tonight with me – prepare a mop cause it's going to be a bloody mess."


	20. The FarPlane's Guardian

**Author's Note**: Yay! Another Update - lol. Yah how that for quick? Blah. So I don't have a job anymore, I found that my free time opened up. I read this chapter over the weekend and now it's a week later and I'm updating. It's only ten pages long, and it's a bit rough around the edges. It's been a really long time since I had to write a fighting scene which was the problem I had trying to write this. I legit, spent three full days trying to write this chapters! Ah well, I'm getting close to the end of it which is essentially my goal. I really want to finish this since I started it. I suspect another ten chapters at most, then it'll be all done and I can finally put that binder on the shelf and possibly start a new one? lol I'm sure you'll have questions about the chapter, and feel free to ask them - If you.. read this LOL. I will try my best to answer them in the next chapter. I know I have a few to answer that are glaringly obvious in regards towards the random ending, but I'll get to it! Just wanted to post it. Enjoy if you read, I know I did!

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing. Soon, I won't own this laptop. No money is a bad thing lol

---xXx---

**The FarPlane's Guardian**

After the long night of training with Sonya, the heirs had been sent back to their bedrooms, bloodied and battered. They were to sleep off the effects of fighting the Dark Angel while Gippal and Rikku navigated the air ship to Guadosalam. The destination had been chosen for a few reasons that Sonya and Maximus had concluded on. The first one being that the FarPlane itself was far to unstable to leave alone for much longer. While it was highly important that all the heirs be present for sealing the literal gateway to the FarPlane, but it was also very important to be sure that it be kept under wraps while they searched for the final heir. There had been too many times in Spira's history where the FarPlane in Guadosalam had been one of the major problems in Spira.

That wasn't the only reason though. Guadosalam was an underground city, built entirely out of rock and earth. It wouldn't be that far fetched to humor that the heir of Earth might be found in this place. While the city was relatively small, and the angel's doubted that they would find the heir of Yanni there they could leave no stone unturned. Besides for such an important place, it wouldn't take long to check around for a random heir. Though – it might be difficult to pin point said heir seeing as how the presence of another five would throw off the sensor that both Maximus and Sonya had. Ah well.

Slipping out onto the bridge, a pair of emerald eyes glared at its occupants. The ships three Al Bheds were there, each one watching Sonya carefully. She scowled at the trio, "Fifteen minutes." The two words sent Julia off sprinting towards her bedroom to get ready. Rikku and Gippal quietly averted their eyes. Tense was an under statement currently. Gippal was annoyed that Sonya was still destroying his ship, Sonya was livid that she was at the "mercy" of humans – and the fact that everyone knew that it was only a matter of time before five people were going to take another long rest in the infirmary left a dense feeling of unease among the _HighWind's_ occupants.

The sooner all of this nonsense was over and done with the better. It had finally gotten to the point where the mortals on the ship detested being around Sonya about as much as she hated being around them. Even Maximus had grown weary of the tension. He himself had his full of Sonya and humans for the rest of the millennium. They needed to get off this airship, find the final heir, and finish the Dios forsaken seals. Once they did that, it would be another few thousand years before they could attempt an escape again. It was such a simple solution and yet, they were unable to complete it because of the difficulties finding a single person in all of Spira was proving to be.

The Dark Angel stormed forward towards the ship's intercom system. Her slender hand grasped tightly on the microphone as she pressed the on button. "Good Afternoon you worthless pieces of flesh. The ship has finally landed on a stretch of land between the Moonflow and Guadosalam. You have fifteen minutes to be ready and off the ship. Do **not** keep me waiting." The cryptic announcement cut off and Sonya sauntered towards the exit.

---xXx---

Ten minutes was all it had taken for all the heirs to join the angels outside of the air ship. Even Ryu had joined them to help find his opposing elemental heir. He wasn't needed for the seal, but he wasn't sure if Sonya would want him there for the search for the final elemental. So, Ryu took the smart way out and decided to tag along. Worst case scenario, he's sent back to the air ship. It was a better outcome than not showing up, his presence being wanted and Sonya throwing him through a wall.

"All here? Wonderful, let's go~" Maximus' cheerful tone drifted through the air as he ushered the heirs into the underground city.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Tidus muttered as he looked sidelong at a random Guado standing off to the side. Though a good number of years had passed, he still held a resentment towards the guado after all the trouble they had given him and the others on Yuna's pilgrimage. Though they weren't the only people that resided in Guadosalam. Since since Leblanc's syndicate had taken refuge here. It was still unsettling to the blitz star to see non-Guado in Guadosalam, he just never got accustomed it after his return.

"Shut up and be alert," Sonya snarled as she pushed past him, taking the lead. "It's Guadosalam, it doesn't matter who ends up here - these people have a tendency to have their own agenda… So don't get caught with your pants down.."

"Please… if you listen to nothing else she says. Listen to this," Maximus said with a serious tone, as he too moved past the others to where the dark angel was. "I really don't want to see any of you with no pants."

A few soft laughs were heard from the group of heirs, accompanied with an aggravated sigh from the dark angel. She was disgusted with the way Maximus had so quickly assimilated with the others and her respect for him only dwindled as time progressed. He was their superior, and yet, he'd disgrace himself by lowering himself to their level. "Disgusting…"

Nothing followed the single word that Sonya voiced as they continued towards the Far Plane. It wasn't a long distance to the entrance, and if all things went smoothly, the group would be in and out of Guadosalam faster than chocobo on the Mi'ihen. And for a short while – the group was given the chance to be optimistic about the turn out of this day. There had been little incidence, only one Guado who had tried to refuse to allow the crowd near the FarPlane. That problem had been quickly squash by the irate dark haired woman who threatened to impale him to the roof of the community.

The heirs had gone through the process, twice one might add, since Kaden hadn't been paying attention the first time and ended up taking a block of ice to the face. Sonya was none to pleased having to delve into her magical reserve a second time, she was now not only irritable, she was lucky that she was walking. Sonya was a strong willed person, but dipping into essentially what equates to your life stream was tiring even for her.

"Let's go."

Sonya only had to say it once before everyone was scurried off quickly to get back to the airship. The sooner they got back there, the more things they could prepare for and do in terms of finding the last heir. However, as luck would have it, the heirs weren't quite done in Guadosalam. They had barely taken a few steps towards the exit of the the walled off community before a tremor rocked the ground they stood on, tossing a few of the heirs to the ground. Rock shattered under foot and over head as it along with other debris got tossed towards the ground.. "Move!" Maximus instructed as he grabbed the closest heir and jumped to the side. No sooner had his feet landed upon the floor below him had a large slab of concrete crashed down where he had been standing.

"Thanks, Max," Julia breathed as her violet eyes stared at the place she'd been previously standing.

Confused and terrified murmurs ran through Guadosalam as people fled from the area towards a safer territory. Half fled out back towards the Moonflow, the direction the heirs had come from while others took their chances with the Thunder Plains. The heirs stayed frozen, each one holding their breath as they looked around. Dust and soot had been tossed up into the air when the disaster struck, obscuring the vision of the inhabitants. The confusion, however, did not take long to clear up as the dust settled relatively quickly sending Sonya and Maximus into a burst of movement.

The two Angels had been caught off guard, something that did not bode well with either of them. Sonya's magic may have been sealed, but Maximus' hadn't. There was no reason why he shouldn't have felt something. Unless of course it was an explosion set off by dynamite. However, the current overwhelming dark presence dictated otherwise to the pair of angels.

The two dashed forward into the center of the center, only to be greeted with a rather unpleasant sight. "We have company," Sonya said, a sense of anticipation and malice lacing through her words.

Maximus took his position besides the femme fatale and stared at the beast standing before them. Towering over the heir by at least twice their height, this was no ordinary fiend. This was something straight out of a history book. Three sets of ivory fangs glimmered as the light hit the saliva covered extensions of their mouths. Thick black fur, and paws big enough to crush building – they were looking at the guardian of the gate to the afterlife. The watch dog of the FarPlane – Cerberus. '_What in the name of Dios is he doing here?!"_

The group of seven stood still as the beast stomped around, it's three heads letting out feral cries in all directions. Well, this was bad.

"Sonya...?"

"What?"

Silver eyes turned towards the dark haired woman. "What are you going to do?"

"Kill it, Maximus... I am going to kill it." A small smile crept onto the woman's face as she stared down the feral beast before her. There was no time to waste. She paid him no heed, and ignored the feeling of fatigue that coursed through her body. Ripping the Twins from their holsters, she moved away from her counter-part, as far as she was concerned death was the only answer to his question.

Maximus shook his head, a small smile adorning his visage. It didn't really matter if Sonya was exhausted or not she wouldn't ask for help, or even give off the impression that she needed. Maximus didn't need her to though, he could pick up on the subtleties that she gave off – but knowing someone for seven thousand years would do that to anyone. Regardless, there was no use fighting with her. What she wanted – she would get whether Maximus thought it was alright or not. "Of course, dear."

The dark angel was back to barking orders to the remaining heirs that had littered the streets of Guadosalam. "Do not do anything stupid. Watch out for it's tail and for the love of Dios – do **not** get bitten." Bitten, eaten – it was all the same in death which is what would happen if any of the heirs were stupid enough to get close to their mouths.

In a few swift motions, Maximus has rushed forward, grabbing Kaden by the collar and pulling him away from the giant foot that came crashing down. "Keeping your eyes on the target is a good place to start..." His voice was flat as he pushed the heir away from him. It was becoming easier for Maximus to see where Sonya's lack of patience stemmed from when dealing with the novice fighters. It mattered not, it would most likely be the two angels that would dispose of this overgrown puppy.

"Scatter!"

The lone directive came from the Angel of light who was diverting the attention of the right head away from the large group. Sonya followed suit only forcing the attention of the left head in the other direction. If the three heads had their attention pulled in different ways, it would become increasingly difficult for the animal to attack.

"Don't stay in one place – move about, but never be clumped together. Three heads will prevent sneak attacks, but it only has a single body – attacking will become difficult with a group of our size. Be smart."

Sonya snorted at Maximus' instructions as she watched the groups scatter – smart. Tch right. Ryu was rushing towards Maximus, the hand of the ice heiress dragging him along. Tidus jumped, dodged and flipped his way towards Sonya, while the two remaining heirs back peddled from the monstrosity. Well no, that wasn't true – Julia backed away from Cerberus, Kaden on the other hand held his ground.

Impatient and cocky as ever, Kaden threw the first proverbial stone at the animal. With a snap of his fingers, flames larger than the water heir shot up out of the ground, engulfing the front paws of the three headed dog. Fierce and untamed, the flames shot upwards and outward, looking to take out anything and everything in their path – including Tidus and Sonya.

In the time it took Sonya to blink her vision was assaulted with fire and a Tidus who flying towards her to push her back away from the uncontrolled flames. '_Oh no, screw that...'_ the dark warrior thought she readied to launch herself up and over the tackling heir. However, as she preparing to use Tidus as a human spring board, the irate enemy that had launched itself onto its hind legs had come crashing back down, shattering the earth under its paws. The tremors shook her steadied position, and the angel had all she could do to stand, not that she was standing for long. A toned arm wrapped itself around her waist dragging her back away from the fire that quickly licked up the area she was previously standing in. '_Fuckin' Kaden...'_

Huffing, the Dark Angel pushed the water god off her and climbed back to her feet. "Don't just lay around, dose that fire, before that idiot cremates all of us."

._xxx_.

Meanwhile on the opposite side of the dog, Ryu was trying his hardest to create a wind current that pulled the flames back towards Cerberus. "Try and keep it down, Ria..."

The ice goddess nodded her head as she placed her hands on the ground. It took no more than a second for the ground to become slick with a thin layering of ice, taking away the mobility the monster previously had. As Cerberus tried hard to regain his balance Three large spikes of ice jutted up out of the ground. Two missed. A result of pure dumb luck that the dog would slide out of the way, but the third connected briefly, slicing up the side of his fur coat.

Staggering in rage, the dog placed his singed paws on the ice and turned his attention towards the trio in the back.

._xxx_.

"Tidus, soak it!"

Sonya's voice sliced through the air as she shoved Tidus forward, nearly knocking him over. He didn't know what it was that she had in mind but with the Twins glistening brightly in her hands, he wasn't going to question it. Conjuring up the moist particles in the air, Tidus summoned forth a watera spell. The spell crashed down over the midsection of guardian, forcing the thick fur to become matted against its skin.

"Julia."

That was all the dark angel had to say before multiple lightening bolts shot forwards at the beast. One after another, after another. Sonya knew Julia had good control over her magic, or at least comparatively speaking. However, it lacked power – by soaking the pup in water, Sonya had just effectively increased the power the ability of the volts to strike their target, ultimately making it that much more powerful. Though that would hardly be enough. Pushing forward, Sonya rushed forward, her guns cocked upward as dashed towards the ice.

Leaping forward, she twisted her body, hitting the ice with her shoulder and sliding across the battle field. Shots rang out from her guns. One by one a bullet imbedded itself in the stomach of the beast showering the floor, and Sonya with a lovely shade of crimson.

Roar echoed through the cave as the monster tried to crush Sonya with one of its paws. The angel of darkness had just barely managed to kick out her feet, blocking the massive paw from crushing her body. Straining the muscles in her legs, Sonya held firm not allowing the foot to crush her into the floor. However, by the simple force of the attack, the earth around her crumbled and forced her body down deeper into the cavern. She grunted as the shattered rock sliced at her body. Tossing a single hand up, Sonya unloaded another round into the over grown pup's paw.

The weight was lifted from Sonya's body as Cerberus jumped up away from her, howling. It's serpent like tail whipped around, crashing into some of the pillars of rock, shattering them. Three heads snapped at anything and anyone in the area, and the dog continued to try and bury the dark angel in the small cavernous hole her body had made in the ground. The heirs scattered, each one trying to avoid the monstrous heads that were trying to decapitate them.

As the overgrown dog rampaged, he didn't notice that Maximus had taken flight. Hovering over the large mass of singed fur, he let out a piercing whistle. All three heads jerked upward at the source of the noise. "Good boy," Maximus cooed. A small smile sat on his face as a long rope composed of holy magic shot out, latching itself around the neck of the center head. The magic burnt into the flesh of the dark being, compressing itself. Smaller and smaller until the magical rope came together again and the guardian of the Farplane's head fell off.

"Heads up.... literally," Maximus called down to his companions.

Luckily, only two heirs had to worry about the massive head falling towards them – Kyria and Ryu. Ryu was able to scamper away in time – though the same could not be said for the ice elementalist. She managed to avoid being crushed by the massive skull, but as the head was falling, a fang from Cerberus' mouth managed to puncture through her left arm, making it almost completely useless.

Ryu ran back to her, ignoring the raging two headed beast. His hands stretched out looking to grab a hold of the petite female who was crying in pain.

"DO NOT TOUCH HER." Sonya's venomous words shot out across the field as she dodged around stomping paws making a bee line for the wind and ice heirs. Confusion was evident on his face as he held his hands up in the air, away from Kyria. "Cerberus' saliva is poisonous. Do not go near her."

The wind god back away from the limber heiress who was panting heavily, sweat forming on her brow. Sonya cursed as she watched the heiress fall to the floor. Coming to a skidding halt, she glared at Ryu. "Give me your shirt..."

._xxx_.

Julia's attention jerked upward as she ceased her attacks. She looked over at Sonya who was sprinting towards Kyria and Ryu. Spiraled eyes widened as she watched her friend crumble to the floor. "Ria!" She went to move forward only to be caught by the tail she'd be trying so hard to avoid. The long tail wrapped itself around the frame of the slender Al Bhed and tossed her against the hard rock wall. The force of the throw was enough to knock Julia's shoulder straight out of the socket and shatter any hope of it being popped back in.

She whimpered as Kaden ran to her side, doing his best to deflect the flailing tail that was striking out at them once again. "I got you, babe..." was the last thing the Thunder heiress heard before she blacked out.

._xxx_.

Blue eyes jerked back and forth as he slowly watched the heirs begin to drop one by one. Things were getting a little out of control and just when it looked like they were going to come out of this without any injuries. Tidus rushed forward, the traction-less ground of ice gone since Kyria had fainted. Propelling himself upward, Tidus lunged at the beast, his blade held up over his head. It connected - the edge of Tidus' blade delved deep into the leg of the animal.

Using the weight of his body, Tidus pulled the blade down, cutting through countless muscle tissue in the dog's leg. Forcing the blade back out from the leg, the blonde stumbled backwards as the ground shook from the beast momentarily falling forward. "Max, think you should finish it off..."

._xxx_.

"KILL IT." Sonya's shrieked at her counterpart. Her emerald eyes were wild as she looked around at the damage this thing had done to the underground city. "It's going to bring the damn ceiling down on our heads – Guadosalam hasn't seen a fiend this big since that incident with the god damn Gate Demon. The whole fuckin' place is going to collapse." Sonya had Kyria draped over her shoulder, her wounded arm wrapped in Ryu's shirt. Sonya held one of the twins in her left hand to keep her from being totally defenseless. Cocking back the gun, she unloaded a few rounds into the chest of the beast.

The dark angel frowned as the small heiress in her arm began to shake from the poison's effect. She needed to be treated – and fast. "Stop jerking around, idiot."

Her counterpart rolled his eyes. She was normally the one taking out fiends, but without her powers she was stuck to ground work and watching over the heirs was part of that duty. Though with Kyria in need of help, and Julia was out from her encounter with beast's tail, this needed to be finished quickly. Ah well, maybe another time he could stretch his wings and get a decent fight in.

If there was a next time. As Maximus prepared to summon forth the same spell he used before, he could feel the magic in his body run dry. An alarmed yell echoed from the depths of his chest as wings vanished and he plummeted from the sky. Landing with a grunt, Maximus' fingers wrapped tightly around the fur of the beast so not to fall to the ground below. His head was spinning, and he felt nauseous. The urge to get sick grew increasingly stronger as the dog tried to toss Maximus from his back.

Sonya's head jerked up as the suffocating presence of holy magic disappeared. A bewildered expression crossed her visage as she ran towards the entrance. With one of the twins in hand, Sonya shot off rounds into the beast as she went along. _'What the hell is going on...'_ Not certain of what happened to her partner she rushed to find a relatively safe place for Kyria to be place.

"Max! What the hell?!"

The voice of the fire heir asked the question everyone was thinking. This was too serious for Maximus to simply be screwing around – not to mention the fact that he was currently in a poor position himself. Something went wrong and they were in a really bad spot. "Kaden – watch her." She roughly placed the body of the heiress on the ground not far from where Julia was laying. "Do not touch her."

Wasting no time, she sprinted up a small pathway to her right. The dark angel was panting, this fight needed to end soon – or she was going to be in a pile next to the other two girls soon. As she pushed forward, her foot found itself on a ledge tossing her out into the air. Twisting her body, Sonya shoved her gun back in it's holster before ripping Oblivion Rapier from its sheath. The black blade stabbed into the back of Cerberus as she landed, securing her position on the beast.

She ignored the growls of the guardian as her slender fingers wrapped around Maximus' arm, pulling him up onto the flatter part of the back. Her eyes locked with his, "What is going on?"

"I... don't know.. I just can't... do _ anything_"

Had this been any other time, Sonya would have made a snide remark about him always being useless and how that hadn't changed, but this was serious. Maximus was without his powers, and so was she. Relying on the heirs to finish off this beast wasn't something that was going to bode well for them. "Shit," was her only reply. Though it wasn't because of Maximus' condition. The adrenaline wasn't doing it for her anymore – and the blood that was still trickling out of the wounds she'd gotten early on was making her woozy.

Placing a hand to her head, Sonya tightened her grip on Oblivion Rapier as she tried hard to toss away the dizzy feeling. "Kill this thing, Maximus." Was the only thing she could bare to say as she ripped Oblivion Rapier from the body of the beast. "Ryu, Tidus and Kaden are not the people I want to rely on keeping us alive..." Standing, Sonya got ready to jump back down to ground so that she wouldn't run the risk of fainting from such a height.

Though, fate was just not on the side of Sonya this day. Maximus, still not used to the fact that Sonya was without powers, gaped at her visible signs of fatigue. Knowing she was tired was one thing, seeing the small beads of sweat on her head was not bad, however, watching Sonya fight off the feeling of fainting had thrown him for a loop. He had watched Sonya fight through broken limbs without stumbling. To see her so..._human like..._ was disconcerting to say the least. So it was no wonder that without his own magical powers, and his stunned expression he did not see the long tail swooping down after him.

"Get out of the way, idiot." Sonya snarled as she grabbed the front of Maximus shirt and pulled him forward out of range from the tail. Falling to her knees, Sonya's fingers wrapped around the damp fur on the dog, leaving her wide open to the back swing of the tail. Wrapping its long, snake like tail around her waist, Cerberus lifted her up from his back. Lifting her up into the air, the tail whipped her around before forcefully throwing the angel to the side. Her mind was jumbled and she was disorientated. She wasn't sure which way was up, down, left or right. All she knew was that the sudden force of a wind pushing her the other way was going to be the only thing that kept the wall of Guadosalam from shattering the bones in her body.

._xxx_.

"Good Job!" Tidus cheered on his fellow heir as he took a running start towards the wall. Pushing up off the ground, the blitz jumped towards the wall – using it as a spring board to leap up and catch the falling angel. His toned arms cradled Sonya as he came to a skidding halt on the rocky ground below. "You ok?" He asked more out of instinct than anything else.

Tidus half expected the old witch to punch him square in the face and tell him to screw off. She most likely wasn't going to be pleased that she had to be rescued and by humans no less. But, when she didn't immediately open her eyes, a wave of panic washed over the water heir. "Sonya?" He held her body close to his, lightly shaking her – goading her to wake up. "Sonya? Sonya, please wake up. Sonya..."

Slowly, but surely a pair of Emerald eyes blinked open. She looked up at the blitzer who was entirely too close for comfort and frowned. "What have I said about touching me...?" Her tone was flat as she rolled out of Tidus' grip. "Stop slacking – kill this thing already." Though she tried to be fierce, and there was a hint of malice in her words., Sonya's body was too shaky for Tidus to take her seriously.

"Sonya, you're not going to be able to stand, just don't move."

She scowled at the advice the human gave her. "Who the _hell_ said I was going to stand." Sitting on the ground, Sonya pulled her guns from their respective holster.s "I don't _need_ to stand to shoot the damned thing."

._xxx_.

Maximus had finally managed to shake his surprise. His normally cheerful expression was replaced with one of determination. This was getting out of hand and dangerous. Unsheathing Divine Steel Maximus rushed forward, plunging the blade deep into the skull of the left head. The neck that the head was slumped forward, tossing Maximus back down to the ground. Blade still in hand, Maximus turned to look at Ryu who was aiding Kaden's magic from afar. It was a relief to see that even if Ryu didn't know how to handle his magic properly alone, he could aid to the others that did. Either way, there was another head left and this pup was none too pleased.

To make matters worse, Cerberus had decided to focus his attention on the Angel of light. Moving forward, the dog swooped down, attempting to bite off the hand that Divine Steel was in. Maximus quickly discarded the blade, as it got caught in the mouth of the beast when his hand jerked back. The Angel of light frowned as the blade refused to reappear in his hand. The magical dominance that Cerberus had over him now was too great for him to summon the blade back without his powers. Cursing Maximus ducked around the snapping head making a run back towards Kaden who wasn't using his blade. "Kaden, your blade! NOW"

Though, the blade never came – nor was it necessary. As the fire heir fumbled to get a hold of the hilt, a female voice cut through the air, summoning eight condense spheres of holy magic that plunged into the tall beast in the center of Guadosalam. With a final howl, the guardian of the FarPlane burst into hundreds of pyreflies that immediately flew back through the gate from whence they came. "Yuna!" Maximus' gray eyes were wide as he rushed towards the former Summoner. "To Kyria, quick. Esuna and Esuna her hard."

"Esuna will only temporarily work..." The Dark Angel's voice was low as she staggered towards the group. "You'll need the lily pads from the Moon Flow to cure the venom from Cereberus. Provided that the damned things haven't been polluted by your stupid culture – that is the only rumored cured." She stopped when she met up with Yuna who was trying to get the brunette to stop convulsing. "You'll need to hurry – the venom is strong and fast. She won't last the rest of the day at this rate..." Looking around at the faces around her, she scowled. "That means move."

Yuna's head tilted up, her bicolored eyes looked at Sonya. "...Are you going to be okay, Sonya?"

Her body tensed at the question as she tried her hardest to straighten her back. "Spare me the false concerns. There isn't a damned thing any of you could do for me even if I wasn't alright. Now unless you want the world to end – I suggest moving. I'm getting a bit aggravated that one minute you are all angry at me for killing you, and the next minute you're all gawking at me while someone is dying right before you."

"Yes, right..." Yuna let the conversation end there. "Please then, let us hurry."

Tidus scooped up Julia while Kaden grabbed a hold of Kyria. The group hurried forward, each of them rushing back to the airship. Well, except Maximus, Sonya and Ryu. Ryu was still a bit a head, but lagging behind the others. The pair of Angels were lagging for another reason.

"Can you walk, dearest?"

She scoffed, pushing his hand away. "I'm fine."

"You don't look fine," Maximus countered, his expression turned grave. "You look like your about to fall over."

"And you look like something I want to run my sword through." Her emerald eyes were narrowed as her petite hand moved towards the hilt of Oblivion Rapier. "Go get your stupid blade and let's go...."

Maximus shot her a wary glance before backing away from the dark haired warrior. Jogging towards his blade, Maximus quickly picked it up and placed it in its sheath as he moved back towards Sonya. "Alright, let's get back before anything else busts out of the FarPla-" The words died on his lips as he watched Sonya drop to her knees. Running forward, Maximus took a knee next to the dark angel. Pushing aside the long dark hair that obscured his view of her face, Maximus spoke, "Are you ok?"

She pushed away his hand again, before falling forward. "I just... need to rest. I'm fine."

"Then let me help you back to the air ship." Sonya scowled. "You can't walk, Sonya. Unless you want me to just leave you here. You can sleep on the floor." He stood, his arms crossed over his chest. "No one is around, Sonya – let me walk you half way to the ship and if your ego is so big that you can't be seen with me helping you, you can stagger the rest of the way. You won't make it back if you don't."

Sonya frowned, her hands balling into fists as she glared at the floor. If she had her magic she'd be fine – maybe a little bruised, but nothing she couldn't heal in a few seconds. But she didn't. She was essentially a human that couldn't really die and a ridiculous level of skill with a sword. "Fine." Reaching out her hand, she grabbed a hold of Maximus' outstretched arm. "But you mention this to no one."

"Angel's Honor." He held up his other hand as a smile slipped over his lips.

Not that his promise meant anything or mattered at all. The two hadn't made it out of Guadosalam before Sonya slumped over, her body finally giving into the wear and tear it endured today. The Angel of Light sighed, a small, sad smile on his lips. Slipping his arms around his counterpart, Maximus cradled her in his arm, taking a few strides out of Guadosalam.

As he made his way towards the air ship, he caught up with Ryu who had seemingly been lingering outside the entrance of the small town. "What happened?"

"I swept her off her feet with my dashing good looks and charms, Ryu."

"Seriously, Max..."

The Angel of Light sighed. Well, Sonya didn't make him promise not to explain why she fainted. "She's tired. She tapped into her reserve powers twice today, then had to fight. She's strong willed, but her body just can't handle that kind of stress. She fainted. She'll be fine tomorrow." Pulling ahead of the wind heir, Maximus called over his shoulder. "Though, Ryu – I wouldn't mention this to anyone. Pick your battles, remember?"


End file.
